A planned follow-up call between former President Donald Trump and Taiwan’s president has been put on hold after Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that Taiwan could become a “very dangerous situation” if mishandled during Trump’s recent visit to China, according to reporting from CBS News on May 10.
CBS News, citing U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter, reported that the call — discussed as a possible next step in Trump’s outreach to Taiwan — is no longer moving forward for now. The Guardian, in separate coverage the same day, also noted that multiple outlets were reporting the same development, underscoring that at least two independent news organizations have described the call as being on hold.
Xi’s Warning During Trump’s China Visit
When Trump traveled to China earlier this month, Xi raised Taiwan directly, according to CBS News. During their discussions, Xi warned Trump that the issue could become “very dangerous” if not handled carefully.
CBS News reported that this warning came in the context of broader talks about U.S.–China relations, and that Xi’s comments highlighted how sensitive Beijing considers any high-level contact between U.S. leaders and Taiwan’s government. The Guardian’s same-day reporting referenced the CBS account, noting that Xi’s message underscored China’s longstanding position that outside involvement in Taiwan affairs is a core concern for Beijing.
While neither outlet published a full transcript of the exchange, both described Xi’s language as a pointed caution. The reports do not indicate that Xi issued a specific threat, but they characterize his remarks as a clear signal of how seriously Beijing views the matter.
Follow-Up Call With Taiwan Put on Hold
Against that backdrop, CBS News reported that a previously anticipated call between Trump and Taiwan’s president is now on hold. The report, based on unnamed U.S. officials and individuals briefed on the discussions, said the call had been under consideration but that plans have been paused following Xi’s warning.
CBS News did not specify an exact date when the call had been expected to take place, nor did it state whether a formal invitation had been issued and accepted. Instead, the outlet described the call as a next step that had been discussed and then set aside, at least for the time being.
The Guardian, citing the CBS report and additional U.S. coverage, similarly described the call as being on hold, noting that at least two outlets across two different news organizations were reporting the same development. That cross-outlet consistency supports the basic claim that whatever planning had existed for a Trump–Taiwan presidential call is no longer active.
White House and Beijing Reactions
CBS News reported that the White House has not publicly detailed its internal deliberations over the proposed call, and the outlet did not quote on-the-record statements from senior officials about the decision to put it on hold. Instead, its account relied on background information from officials familiar with the discussions.
The Guardian’s coverage likewise did not cite any formal White House statement specifically confirming that a planned call had been shelved. Rather, it summarized the state of play based on U.S. media reports and the accounts of officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
On the Chinese side, both outlets framed Xi’s warning as consistent with Beijing’s established position on Taiwan, but neither reported a new, detailed public statement from China’s government about the specific call that had been under consideration. The reporting instead focused on Xi’s private message to Trump during the China visit, as described by U.S. sources.
Why the Hold Matters
The decision to pause the call is significant because it shows how conversations at the highest level between Washington and Beijing can shape whether and how U.S. leaders engage Taiwan. CBS News linked the hold directly to Xi’s warning, indicating that his “very dangerous situation” comment weighed on the decision-making around further contact.
The Guardian emphasized that multiple outlets were now describing the call as on hold, suggesting that this is not an isolated or speculative claim but a development recognized across at least two major news organizations. While the reports do not spell out all the internal factors behind the decision, they make clear that the call is not moving forward as once discussed.
For readers, the key confirmed points are that Xi warned Trump in China that Taiwan could become a “very dangerous situation” if mishandled, and that a follow-up call between Trump and Taiwan’s president, previously under consideration, has been put on hold in the wake of that warning. What remains unclear, based on current reporting, is whether the call might be revisited later or what specific conditions would lead to that.
What to Watch Next
Neither CBS News nor The Guardian reported any formal timetable for revisiting the call, and there is no public indication from the White House or Beijing about next steps.
Future developments to watch include any official confirmation from U.S. or Chinese authorities about the status of the call, as well as any new reporting that clarifies how Xi’s warning is shaping U.S. decisions on high-level contacts with Taiwan’s leadership. For now, based on the available evidence from at least two independent outlets, the call is on hold and the issue remains sensitive at the highest levels of government.
