Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned U.S. President Donald Trump during a summit in Beijing on Thursday that missteps on Taiwan could push their two countries into “conflict,” even as Xi emphasized a “new positioning” of ties with the United States. 

As the meeting of the two superpowers’ leaders kicked off with a welcome ceremony full of pomp at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Trump heaped praise on Xi, calling him a “great leader” and pleading that the rivals’ ties would “be better than ever before.”

But Xi’s focus on Taiwan — and putting China on a more equal footing with the U.S. — highlighted Beijing’s growing confidence in its ability to grapple on the global stage with Washington.

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