During a summit in San Francisco, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned U.S. President Biden that the Taiwan issue is the most significant threat to peace in U.S.-China relations. Xi emphasized that Taiwan was the most potentially dangerous issue and expressed a preference for peaceful reunification.

However, he also raised the possibility of using force under certain conditions. President Biden responded by reiterating the United States’ commitment to maintaining peace and stability.

The U.S. maintains a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the China-Taiwan conflict, acknowledging Beijing’s claim to Taiwan without explicitly endorsing it.

The “One China” policy recognizes Beijing’s claim to Taiwan, but the U.S. does not explicitly state whether it would intervene in a conflict between China and Taiwan.

The U.S. is a key provider of military and defense assistance to Taiwan. However, Washington remains ambiguous about its commitment to coming to Taiwan’s aid in the event of a conflict with China.

During the summit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying issued a warning about the “Taiwan question,” calling it the most important and sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations. Hua urged the U.S. to take actions to honor its commitment not to support “Taiwan independence” and to stop arming Taiwan. She asserted that China’s reunification is unstoppable.

In response, President Biden referred to Xi as a “dictator” during a press conference, emphasizing the differences in the forms of government between the U.S. and China. This came shortly after Hua’s statement that China would be “unstoppable” in retaking Taiwan. The summit highlighted the tensions and differing perspectives on the Taiwan issue between the U.S. and China.