Xi Jinping issued what appeared to be a thinly veiled threat to Donald Trump during a US trip to Beijing this week.

Trump opened talks by telling Xi it was an ‘honour’ to be his friend,even as his Chinese counterpart offered a cautionary warning about the risk of a possible clash between the two nations.

‘China and the United States both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation,’ Xi said.

‘We should be partners,not rivals. We should help each other succeed and prosper together and find the right way for major countries to get along well with each other in the new era.’

Xi also said he hoped the two nations could ‘transcend the ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new model for relations between major powers.’

The Thucydides Trap,a term popularised by American political scientist Graham T Allison,refers to the high risk of war when an emerging power – in this case,China – replaces another.

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Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.The two leaders still differ on many key issues,including the war in Iran,trade disputes and Washington’s relationship with Taiwan.But in remarks before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People,Trump lauded the Chinese president,telling him: ‘You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it,but I say it anyway,because it’s true.’Talks have been focused on trade and economy (Picture: Shutterstock)Economic ties between China and the US are mutually beneficial,Xi told Trump during their talks.The Chinese president added that there are no winners in trade wars and encouraged the president to join him in sustaining the good momentum they have worked hard to build.The pair chatted after Trump and his US delegates were greeted with a welcome salute and band.Trump is set to visit the Temple of Heaven,a religious complex dating to the 15th century that symbolises the relationship between heaven and earth.The White House has insisted that Trump would not be making the trip without an eye toward securing results before he leaves.There could be announcements coming on trade,including a Chinese commitment to buy US soybeans,beef and aircraft.The visit has been filled with pomp and circumstance (Picture: Shutterstock)Trump administration officials also want to work toward establishing a Board of Trade with China to address commercial differences between the countries.But neither side has yet to offer concrete details on what might come of the three-day visit,at a time when Beijing’s close economic ties to Iran could complicate matters.Looming large is the status of Taiwan,given that China is displeased with US plans to sell weapons to the self-governing island that the Chinese government claims as part of its territory.The Trump administration has approved a £8.1 billion weapons package for Taiwan,but has yet to begin fulfilling it.Taiwan is the world’s leading chipmaker,producing components essential to the development of artificial intelligence. Trump has sought to bolster trade deals with Taiwan.Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at .For more stories like this,check our news page.