Taiwan emerged as a major flashpoint between China and the United States, with Beijing warning of potential “conflict and even conflict” if the issue is not handled properly during talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.Trump remained silent on questions about Taiwan after his meeting with Xi, but Beijing later confirmed that the issue was raised during the summit.When repeatedly asked whether the issue of Taiwan came up during the talks, Trump dodged the question, instead emphasizing general talks with Xi, saying, “It’s great. Great place, incredible. China is beautiful.”Meanwhile, Xi told Trump that the “Taiwan question” remains the most important issue in US-China relations, according to a readout from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.“‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as incompatible as fire and water,” Xi said, warning that if the issue was “not handled properly” there would be “quarrels and even conflict” between the two countries, which would put the entire relationship in great danger.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also avoided commenting on China’s warning, but told the media that Washington’s stance had not changed, and also warned Beijing against the use of force.Rubio said in an interview with NBC News while visiting with Trump in China, “US policy on the Taiwan issue is unchanged today and as of our meeting here today. It was raised. They always raise it on their side. We always make our position clear, and we move on to other topics.” He said it would be “a terrible mistake” for China to attempt to take over Taiwan by force.