Trump-Xi talks in Beijing: What’s at stake

BEIJING — President Trump’s first visit to China in nine years is a high-stakes trip that reflects the rivalry and interdependence of two superpowers hoping to avoid a collision course, although Trump has characterized it more as a meeting between close friends and business partners.

Speaking to reporters before leaving Washington on Tuesday, Trump downplayed tensions between the two countries, including over trade, calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a “great guy” and a friend and saying the business relationship between the two countries is “very good.”

Trump acknowledged China’s power; He said the Asian country and the United States were clearly the world’s two superpowers and that the focus of the meeting “will be trade more than anything else.”

“We’re going to have a great relationship for decades to come,” Trump said. “My relationship with President Xi is great. We’ve always gotten along well and we’re doing very well with China, and working with China has been very good too, so we’re looking forward to that.”

Trump also downplayed the meeting’s significance for the war in Iran. He said Xi could help the United States reach a deal to end the war but did not need to because “Iran is largely under control.”

This state visit marks the first by an American president to China since Trump visited China in 2017, just months into his first term. President Biden never showed up, becoming the first person not to do so since diplomatic relations returned to normal; This absence underscores the worsening distrust and hostility between Washington and Beijing.

Security forces in the capital closed off an area the size of about 400 football fields around the Temple of Heaven ahead of the US President’s visit, anticipating a stop at the monument to imperial China and Confucian thought.

On his previous trip, Trump had the rare honor of a state banquet in the Forbidden City. This time, he is expected to dine at the Great Hall of the People, an imposing structure near Tiananmen Square that hosts high-level meetings of the Chinese Communist Party.

Trump’s positive approach on Tuesday aside, the agenda for Thursday’s meeting with Xi highlights the broad spectrum of often conflicting American interests tied to Beijing’s policies.

After launching a trade war against China at the start of his second term, Trump now comes calling for an extension of the tariff truce, fearing Xi could follow through on threats to halt exports to the US of rare earth minerals vital to the production of American goods, including everyday consumer equipment and advanced defense technologies.

According to the president, his visit comes as part of “massive life support” in the ceasefire in the war with Iran, brokered with Beijing’s help. Trump is expected to appeal to Xi for help in restoring Tehran’s free and open passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

And in a dramatic reversal, the Trump administration has begun talks with the Chinese about establishing a communication channel on artificial intelligence, out of concern that recent technological leaps could pose global risks.

All these requests are expected to come with a price.

President Trump leaves the White House on May 12, 2026, for his second official visit to China.

(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Trump said before the trip that he expected US arms sales to Taiwan (including those approved by Congress) to be a trump card in negotiations.

“I will discuss this issue with President Xi,” Trump said. “President Xi wants us not to do this, and I will discuss this issue as well. This is one of the many things I will discuss.”

The idea that U.S. support for Taiwan is a negotiable issue is sure to shake America’s allies in the region, from Japan to the Philippines, who are dependent on U.S. security guarantees amid China’s Indo-Pacific military aggression.

Despite geopolitical tensions, both sides are expected to announce business and investment deals; This shows how deeply intertwined the world’s two largest economies are.

China plans to purchase a significant amount of Boeing aircraft, and the president also brought 17 American corporate leaders on the trip to discuss additional opportunities, including Apple’s Tim Cook, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Meta’s Dina Powell McCormick and Tesla’s Elon Musk.

The two leaders are expected to have other opportunities for face-to-face meetings over the next year, including potential meetings at the Group of 20 summit in Florida, the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, and a state visit to Washington, which Trump has said he will host for Xi in the coming months.

On Tuesday, Trump said Xi’s visit would be “towards the end of the year” and “exciting.” He also lamented that the ballroom he was building on the White House grounds — to replace the historic East Wing he demolished — would not be ready in time.

Jennifer Hong, senior director at the Indo-Pacific Security Institute, said she was concerned that the state visit could become part of a “calendar bully” in which China agreed to schedule higher-level meetings that Trump sought and delayed vital U.S. decision-making.

“I think this trip is necessary for the U.S. government — I think there are some things that are on hold because they don’t want to shake things up,” Hong said, noting that the Trump administration has delayed arms sales to Taiwan even though the packages have already received congressional approval.

“I worry that this will be a series of promises, or perhaps delayed by a year or so, as we continue to obstruct ourselves on national security issues for the sake of more meetings,” he added.

Trump on Tuesday repeatedly rejected China’s potential help in resolving the war in Iran, which has soared prices domestically and globally as oil shipments through the strategic Strait of Hormuz have been badly disrupted and U.S. efforts to fully reopen the canal have so far failed.

“I honestly don’t think we need help with Iran,” Trump said. “They were defeated militarily.”

Trump also said the financial pain many Americans feel from the war, including at the gas pump, is not “even a little bit” a factor in his ongoing negotiations with Iran.

“The only thing that matters when we talk about Iran is [is that] “They can’t have nuclear weapons,” he said, and continued: “I’m not thinking about the financial situation of Americans. “I don’t think about anyone.”