Trump, Xi Jinping Talks Begin in Beijing
Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump began a series of meetings in Beijing on Thursday for a U.S.-China summit where little breakthrough is expected on divisive issues such as the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan.
Trump hopes to focus on trade and deals for China to buy more agricultural products and passenger jets, creating a board to address their differences and prevent a repeat of the trade war sparked after Trump’s tariff hikes last year.
Xi will likely bring up America’s decision to sell arms to Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own territory. Trump approved an $11 billion arms package to Taiwan in December but has yet to make progress on deliveries.
The main goal of the two-day summit is stability in relations. Trump is expected to leave just after noon on Friday after his final private meeting with Xi.
The war with Iran is also likely to be an important issue. Ahead of the meetings, Trump had hoped that China would use its significant influence to encourage Iran to accept US terms to end the two-month war or reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz, but he toned down those calls ahead of the summit.
