President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping opened a closely watched summit in Beijing on Thursday with Taiwan, trade tensions and global conflicts dominating discussions between the world's two largest economies amid ongoing wars in the Middle East and Europe.

The bilateral meeting at Beijing's Great Hall of the People lasted about two hours and 15 minutes, roughly 35 minutes longer than the leaders' previous summit in South Korea last year, according to NBC News. The talks unfolded as the Iran conflict continues to disrupt global energy markets and Russia intensifies attacks in Ukraine.

Xi warned Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could place the U.S.-China relationship in "great jeopardy" and lead to "clashes and even conflicts," according to China's Foreign Ministry and reports from Reuters. Taiwan remains the most sensitive issue in relations between Washington and Beijing, with China viewing the self-governed island as part of its territory while the United States continues military and political support for Taipei.

The White House summary of the talks did not mention Taiwan, instead focusing on trade, energy security and the Strait of Hormuz. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later told NBC News that U.S. policy toward Taiwan "remains consistent" following the summit.

Taiwan's government said it saw "nothing surprising" in the summit discussions and remained in close communication with Washington. Taiwanese officials have been closely monitoring the talks amid concerns over U.S. arms sales discussions with Beijing.

IBT earlier reported that Trump planned to raise Iran, Taiwan and trade tensions during the Beijing summit with Xi, while Taiwanese officials were preparing for possible "surprises" tied to discussions over arms sales and Washington's language on Taiwan independence.

Trump praised the discussions during a state banquet hosted by Xi later Thursday, calling the meetings "extremely positive and productive.'' Xi, meanwhile, said the United States and China "should be partners, not rivals" and warned against confrontation between the two powers.

Trade remained central to the summit. Trump told Xi that future trade ties would be "totally reciprocal," while Xi argued that trade wars have "no winner," remarks reported by Reuters. Chinese officials also said both sides discussed expanding economic cooperation and maintaining momentum from the trade truce reached during the Busan summit in 2025.

The summit included a high-profile American business delegation featuring Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The executives met Chinese Premier Li Qiang before joining summit events in Beijing.

Ahead of the summit, Reuters reported that Trump aimed to secure greater Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products and aircraft while pushing for expanded market access for American companies. China, meanwhile, has sought relief from U.S. semiconductor export restrictions and tariffs.

The leaders also discussed the Iran conflict and energy security. According to the White House readout cited by CNN, both countries agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to maintain global energy flows. Xi also reportedly expressed interest in purchasing more American oil.

The summit took place as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East continued to shape global diplomacy. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned Russia for launching missile and drone strikes on Kyiv during the Beijing talks, calling Moscow a threat to international security, according to comments carried by The Associated Press.

Xi and Trump also discussed the broader geopolitical landscape, including Ukraine, the Korean Peninsula and regional stability in Asia, according to China's state news agency Xinhua.

The Beijing summit marked Trump's first visit to China since 2017 and the first by a sitting U.S. president in nearly a decade. The leaders later visited Beijing's Temple of Heaven before attending a formal state banquet.

Xi used the opening session to reference the "Thucydides Trap," a theory describing the risk of war between rising and established powers, and said the world stood at "a new crossroads," according to NBC News. Trump responded by praising Xi as a "great leader" and saying the two countries had a "fantastic relationship."