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Xi Warns Trump Over Taiwan Could Trigger Conflict; Tensions Flare Near Strait of Hormuz
BEIJING/WASHINGTON — Chinese President Xi Jinping warned President Trump on May 14, 2026, that differences over Taiwan could result in “clashes and even conflicts” between the United States and China — the most direct and candid language Beijing has used with a U.S. president in recent memory.
The warning came during a two-hour bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, held as part of Trump’s broader Asia trip. The leaders discussed trade, the ongoing Iran conflict, and strategic competition across the Indo-Pacific. On Taiwan, Xi was unambiguous: any mishandling of the issue carried real risk of military confrontation. Taiwan has been a persistent flashpoint between Beijing and Washington for decades.
During the same press briefing, Xi said he offered to help broker peace between the United States and Iran — a conflict that has seen repeated drone and missile exchanges in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters.
Those maritime tensions materialized in real time. On May 14, the U.S. military announced that American forces intercepted an Iranian attack against U.S. Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints. Separately, a ship near the United Arab Emirates was captured and taken to Iran by Iranian forces, and another vessel was attacked and sank in the same region, according to multiple naval sources.
The back-to-back incidents mark a significant escalation in Gulf security concerns. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, and any disruption carries immediate global economic consequences. Shipping insurers have issued alerts for vessels transiting the area.
The convergence of a U.S.-China diplomatic confrontation, a direct Iranian offer mediated through Beijing, and the simultaneous breakdown of maritime security in the Gulf represents the most complex cluster of geopolitical crises since the onset of the Iran conflict earlier this year.
No joint communiqué was issued following the Xi-Trump meeting. A senior U.S. official said the two sides agreed to remain in contact but offered no timeline for follow-up talks.
Reporting from Beijing and Washington. Additional reporting from the Gulf.