{"id":1826,"date":"2026-05-16T19:45:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T19:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=1826"},"modified":"2026-05-16T19:45:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T19:45:54","slug":"major-ww3-warning-issued-as-trump-goaded-to-come-into-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?p=1826","title":{"rendered":"Major WW3 warning issued as Trump goaded to &#8216;come into conflict&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_e189fa\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump that the two nations could face &#8216;clashes and even conflicts&#8217; if the Taiwan issue is not handled correctly, during Trump&#8217;s visit to China<\/h2>\n<div class=\"Byline_byline-container__K_Owl\" data-testid=\"byline\"><span class=\"Byline_byline-content-wrapper__Imque\" data-testid=\"byline-content\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"Byline_author-badge-date-wrapper__Q7jj1\">\n<div class=\"Byline_author-and-badge-wrapper__2dsv1\">\n<div class=\"Authors_authors-container__wVWas\" data-testid=\"byline-author\" data-tmdatatrack=\"author\" style=\"--authors-by:&quot;By&quot;\"><span><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35 __className_e189fa\">Hannah Broughton<\/strong><\/span><span> and <span><a class=\"AuthorLink_author-link__rg5qj\" data-tmdatatrack=\"author\" data-testid=\"byline-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailystar.co.uk\/authors\/adam-cailler\/\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35 __className_e189fa\">Adam Cailler<\/strong><\/a><\/span> Senior reporter and MSN lead<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"\" data-testid=\"byline-publishedDate\">08:16, 15 May 2026<\/span><span class=\"ArticleTimestamp_updated-date__7qD4Q ArticleTimestamp_updated-date-with-published__iFKpF\" data-testid=\"byline-updatedDate\">Updated 08:16, 15 May 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37158919\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"U.S. President Trump Meets With China's President Xi And Attends State Banquet\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37158919.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37158919.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37158919.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37158919.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Trump and Xi have met in Beijing\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Trump and Xi have met in Beijing<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Donald Trump has been goaded into battle during his China trip. While meeting with President Xi Jinping, he was told that America and China could &#8220;come into conflict&#8221; if the Taiwan issue isn&#8217;t managed properly, Chinese state media have reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">For the Chinese leader, Taiwan was characterised as the most crucial matter in US-China relations, and he appears determined that it be addressed correctly to prevent difficulties, even though Trump has been given a new Chinese nickname with an unpleasant translation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">His stern approach differs from Trump&#8217;s, who has already complimented Xi, declaring, &#8220;It&#8217;s an honor to be your friend.&#8221; This demonstrates just how divided the leaders remain on challenging matters, including the war in Iran, trade rows, and Taiwan, and indicates that Trump&#8217;s three-day visit to China is likely to be richer in ceremony and symbolism than significant bilateral advances.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37158918\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37158918\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"U.S. President Trump Meets With China's President Xi And Attends State Banquet\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37158918.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37158918.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37158918.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/article37158918.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Xi and Trump appear to have adopted contrasting tones during the visit\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Xi and Trump appear to have adopted contrasting tones during the visit<cite aria-label=\"Image: Getty\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Getty)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It follows after a mystery blonde accompanied Trump on his trip to China following Melania&#8217;s distress. The pair met for approximately two hours privately at the Great Hall of the People and discussed trade and other matters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A statement published on X by the Chinese foreign ministry revealed that, during a meeting with Trump, Xi told spokesperson Mao Ning that &#8220;the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.&#8221;, reports <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-express.com\/news\/world-news\/207191\/breaking-china-taiwan-conflict-xi-jinping-Donald-trump\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">the Express US<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,&#8221; she observed. This came after a brief public exchange before the meeting commenced, during which Trump offered praise, telling Xi: &#8220;You&#8217;re a great leader. Sometimes people don&#8217;t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it&#8217;s true.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s an honour to be with you. It&#8217;s an honour to be your friend,&#8221; Trump declared before vowing that &#8220;the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Xi struck a more serious, questioning tone in his opening remarks, expressing hope that the US and China could avoid conflict while questioning &#8220;whether the two countries can transcend the `Thucydides Trap&#8217; and forge a new model for relations between major powers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He used a term frequently employed in foreign policy circles, referring to the notion that when a rising power challenges an established one, warfare often ensues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,&#8221; Xi declared. &#8220;The two countries should be partners rather than rivals.&#8221; This isn&#8217;t the first occasion Xi has invoked the &#8220;Thucydides Trap&#8221; regarding US-China relations; he&#8217;s used the expression dating back to 2014.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Xi&#8217;s wariness concerning Taiwan reflects China&#8217;s dissatisfaction with a U.S. proposal to sell arms to the island. The Trump administration has approved an $11 billion weapons deal for Taiwan, although delivery has not yet begun. Trump has also demonstrated heightened ambiguity towards Taiwan, a stance that has raised queries about whether he might diminish backing for the island democracy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><em><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our <a aria-label=\"newslettersLink opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailystar.co.uk\/newsletter-preference-centre\/\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\">newsletters<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump that the two nations could face&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1827,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg",1200,675,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet-768x432.jpg",640,360,true],"large":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet-1024x576.jpg",640,360,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg",1200,675,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet.jpg",1200,675,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet-1115x675.jpg",1115,675,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet-800x500.jpg",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/betreview.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_US-President-Trump-Meets-With-Chinas-President-Xi-And-Attends-State-Banquet-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/betreview.net\/?cat=7\" rel=\"category\">Stories<\/a>","tag_info":"Stories","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1826\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betreview.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}