Five things to watch in Asia as Trump prepares to meet China’s Xi this week

BEIJING — The United States and China are strengthening East Asian ties ahead of a highly anticipated presidential summit in Beijing this week.

Trade negotiators from both countries will meet in Seoul, South Korea, ahead of US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

This packed itinerary, where the summit is closely watched by global leaders, reflects the current regional dynamic in US-China relations.

Here is the full agenda:

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will arrive in Japan on Monday to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the public broadcaster said. NHK reported.

Japan is one of the countries most affected by the Iran war because about 75% of the Asian country’s oil imports depend on the Middle East.

Bessent’s visit comes at a time when relations between Beijing and Tokyo have frayed after Takaichi said in November that Tokyo would support Taiwan if it was threatened by Beijing’s military, drawing a harsh reaction from Beijing. He did not soften his statement despite Beijing’s demands.

During their visit to the United States in March, Trump and Takaichi “promised peace and Stability in the Taiwan StraitAccording to the White House “.

Japan will closely monitor the official statement on Taiwan following the Trump-Xi meeting; The US president said Monday that arms sales to Taipei were on the summit agenda.

Deputy Prime Minister He Lifeng Leading a delegation to South Korea According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, trade talks will be held with the United States from Tuesday to Wednesday. The statement did not mention other meetings but referred to the Trump-Xi summit held in Busan, South Korea, in October last year.

Although it is unclear whether Bessent will explain the U.S. time zone differences, his announcement only stated that he would on Wednesday. “stop in seoul for discussion With Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.”

This is a sign of the tight planning schedule, and hence the deliveries, for this week’s summit in Beijing. China did not officially confirm the meeting until Monday.

“In our view, the summit will be about preventing unnecessary tensions from escalating and managing risks rather than creating structural mechanisms and building deep friendships,” Ting Lu, Nomura’s chief China economist, said in a note Monday. he said.

“The most urgent agenda item is the Iran-Hormuz crisis,” he said.

The next morning, he will attend a welcome ceremony and hold a bilateral meeting with Xi before touring the historic site. Temple of Heaven A 15th-century landmark in central Beijing. The night will close with a state banquet.

The White House has invited more than a dozen US executives to attend Trump’s visit to China. among the leaders Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk Apple CEO Tim Cook and Boeing’s CEO Kelly Ortberg. However, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was not included in the list.

China’s imports of Boeing aircraft, US soybeans and beef will increase as a result of the Trump-Xi summit but will not reach the highs seen in recent history, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit China.

EIU analysts said China’s purchases will likely be limited by U.S. concessions to technology exports, which in turn will be constrained by dynamics in Washington.

The US president is scheduled to have tea and a working lunch with Xi before leaving China.

As discussed at the summit in Busan last fall, Xi is expected to visit the United States later this year, and the results of this week’s meeting in Beijing will be watched closely for any indication of a firm travel date.

chinese leader He visited the United States for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in 2023, but has not made an official state visit since 2015 during the Obama administration. Trump also visited China during his first term in 2017, and his successor Joe Biden stopped traveling to the Asian country.

Complementary to high-level political involvement are growing expectations of what Russian leader Vladimir Putin can do. Visit Beijing as soon as Monday, May 18.

Trump and Putin’s anticipated visit will complement the dozen or so leaders arriving from Beijing in just the first five months of 2026 as China’s influence grows.

Xi in front of Trump Tajikistan hosted President Emomali Rahmon. Last week, Iran’s foreign minister also went to Beijing for the first time since the Iran war.

Cui Shoujun, a professor at Renmin University’s China School of International Studies, said Iran will definitely be discussed at the Trump-Xi summit.

China is one of the few countries with relations with Iran and Gulf countries, he pointed out, noting Beijing would want to help resolve the tensions. As for the more important question about US-China relations, Cui emphasized that the two presidents’ meeting this week is just the beginning of further discussions.