Scholar: Xi Jinping's 'Warning' to Trump on Taiwan Issue is a Strategic Rash Advance, Leaving No Room for Maneuver
Scholar Ma Chen-kun points out that Xi Jinping's use of warning language on the Taiwan issue at the Trump-Xi meeting is a strategic rash advance. This will limit the room for maneuver for both China and the US, and highlights his decision-making dilemma after the military purge.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 15, 2026 at 21:26
- 🔍 Collected: May 15, 2026 at 21:32 (6 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 15, 2026 at 22:07 (35 min after Collected)
Central News Agency Message
(Central News Agency, Taipei, 15th, Reporter Li Ya-wen) The 'Trump-Xi Meeting' took place in Beijing yesterday. Scholar Ma Chen-kun stated that Xi Jinping, in his capacity as the supreme leader, using warning terms to Trump regarding the Taiwan issue, committed a major taboo of strategic rashness, which will eliminate the room for maneuver for both sides. This also highlights Xi's dilemma after the purge in the military.
The Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University held a seminar this afternoon on 'Analyzing the Global Order and Cross-Strait Situation after the 2026 Trump-Xi Meeting', where several experts and scholars analyzed issues related to the meeting.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing yesterday morning.
According to CCTV reports, Xi mentioned during the meeting, 'The Taiwan issue is the most important issue in China-US relations. If handled well, the overall stability of the bilateral relationship can be maintained; if not handled well, the two countries will collide or even conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a very dangerous situation. Taiwan independence is as incompatible with peace in the Taiwan Strait as fire and water. Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the greatest common denominator for both China and the US.'
Ma Chen-kun, a professor at the Institute of CCP Military Affairs at National Defense University, analyzed at the meeting that Xi Jinping's wording implies that if the Taiwan issue is not handled well, there could be a military conflict between China and the US, which has a warning connotation. However, this also means that for the CCP, US military support for Taiwan is the biggest obstacle to resolving the Taiwan issue; it also means that the PLA's strength is still inferior to the US military, so it is necessary to shake the US's determination for military support to Taiwan.
Ma Chen-kun believes that Xi Jinping's warning as the supreme leader shows the dilemma after the major purge of senior military officials. He said that after Xi's power became highly centralized, no other senior military official could say these words on his behalf, so Xi had to go to the front line himself. This will cause the CCP to lose the room for maneuver that should have existed in handling relations with the US, especially in military interactions.
Ma Chen-kun mentioned that from a macro perspective, Xi Jinping's speech also committed a major taboo of strategic rashness. Recently, rash actions have indeed been seen in the PLA's actions, such as when the Japanese destroyer 'Ikazuchi' transited the Taiwan Strait in April, the Eastern Theater Command immediately announced the organization of the 133rd ship formation for training in the Western Pacific. This is a 'knee-jerk' reaction, a response without a strategic goal.
He concluded that the current strategic rashness is the result of Xi's continuous purging of senior PLA officials. The CCP leadership currently lacks military advisors with strategic maturity who can provide good advice.
Ma Chen-kun believes that under such circumstances, if there is further military cooperation between the US and Taiwan, it cannot be ruled out that the PLA will take stronger and larger-scale countermeasures, 'because the supreme leader has already spoken, you have no choice but to counter.'
Chiu Shih-yi, a professor in the Department of Political Science at Tunghai University, mentioned that after the Trump-Xi meeting, the subsequent development of US arms sales to Taiwan can be observed. A US$14 billion (approximately NT$441.6 billion) arms sale to Taiwan is still awaiting final approval from the US. One possible development is a further delay; if the Trump-Xi meeting did involve discussions on arms sales to Taiwan, this could mean that the 'Six Assurances' to Taiwan proposed by then-US President Reagan have been broken.
Chiu Shih-yi believes that the information released from the Trump-Xi meeting is generally safe so far; he suggests that in addition to 'relying on itself' for national security, Taiwan should also form alliances with neighboring regions such as Japan and the Philippines. (Editor: Yang Sheng-ru) 1150515
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(Central News Agency, Taipei, 15th, Reporter Li Ya-wen) The 'Trump-Xi Meeting' took place in Beijing yesterday. Scholar Ma Chen-kun stated that Xi Jinping, in his capacity as the supreme leader, using warning terms to Trump regarding the Taiwan issue, committed a major taboo of strategic rashness, which will eliminate the room for maneuver for both sides. This also highlights Xi's dilemma after the purge in the military.
The Institute of International Relations at National Chengchi University held a seminar this afternoon on 'Analyzing the Global Order and Cross-Strait Situation after the 2026 Trump-Xi Meeting', where several experts and scholars analyzed issues related to the meeting.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing yesterday morning.
According to CCTV reports, Xi mentioned during the meeting, 'The Taiwan issue is the most important issue in China-US relations. If handled well, the overall stability of the bilateral relationship can be maintained; if not handled well, the two countries will collide or even conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a very dangerous situation. Taiwan independence is as incompatible with peace in the Taiwan Strait as fire and water. Maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the greatest common denominator for both China and the US.'
Ma Chen-kun, a professor at the Institute of CCP Military Affairs at National Defense University, analyzed at the meeting that Xi Jinping's wording implies that if the Taiwan issue is not handled well, there could be a military conflict between China and the US, which has a warning connotation. However, this also means that for the CCP, US military support for Taiwan is the biggest obstacle to resolving the Taiwan issue; it also means that the PLA's strength is still inferior to the US military, so it is necessary to shake the US's determination for military support to Taiwan.
Ma Chen-kun believes that Xi Jinping's warning as the supreme leader shows the dilemma after the major purge of senior military officials. He said that after Xi's power became highly centralized, no other senior military official could say these words on his behalf, so Xi had to go to the front line himself. This will cause the CCP to lose the room for maneuver that should have existed in handling relations with the US, especially in military interactions.
Ma Chen-kun mentioned that from a macro perspective, Xi Jinping's speech also committed a major taboo of strategic rashness. Recently, rash actions have indeed been seen in the PLA's actions, such as when the Japanese destroyer 'Ikazuchi' transited the Taiwan Strait in April, the Eastern Theater Command immediately announced the organization of the 133rd ship formation for training in the Western Pacific. This is a 'knee-jerk' reaction, a response without a strategic goal.
He concluded that the current strategic rashness is the result of Xi's continuous purging of senior PLA officials. The CCP leadership currently lacks military advisors with strategic maturity who can provide good advice.
Ma Chen-kun believes that under such circumstances, if there is further military cooperation between the US and Taiwan, it cannot be ruled out that the PLA will take stronger and larger-scale countermeasures, 'because the supreme leader has already spoken, you have no choice but to counter.'
Chiu Shih-yi, a professor in the Department of Political Science at Tunghai University, mentioned that after the Trump-Xi meeting, the subsequent development of US arms sales to Taiwan can be observed. A US$14 billion (approximately NT$441.6 billion) arms sale to Taiwan is still awaiting final approval from the US. One possible development is a further delay; if the Trump-Xi meeting did involve discussions on arms sales to Taiwan, this could mean that the 'Six Assurances' to Taiwan proposed by then-US President Reagan have been broken.
Chiu Shih-yi believes that the information released from the Trump-Xi meeting is generally safe so far; he suggests that in addition to 'relying on itself' for national security, Taiwan should also form alliances with neighboring regions such as Japan and the Philippines. (Editor: Yang Sheng-ru) 1150515
Stand with the facts. Your every sponsorship is a force for safeguarding press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-Hand News' APP to get the latest news in real time.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.