Trump Arrives in Beijing for Summit With Xi Jinping on Trade, Taiwan, Iran War

President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with trade described as the main focus of their discussions.

“Trump set to meet with Xi in Beijing as war and inflation weigh on his presidency Trump set to meet with Xi in Beijing as war and inflation weigh on his presidency BEIJING (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for his highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a restless moment for a world worried about war, trade and artificial intelligence”

Associated Press

Trump told reporters that trade will be “more than anything else,” and the Trump administration hopes to establish a “Board of Trade” with China to address differences and prevent further trade conflicts.

Associated Press

The trip is taking place as Trump plans to discuss Taiwan and an $11 billion weapons package, while NBC News also said the two leaders are expected to discuss the Iran war.

In Seoul, South Korea, senior U.S. and Chinese officials held another round of trade talks ahead of Trump’s arrival, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice Premier He Lifeng meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung before the talks began.

As Trump heads to Beijing, the Iran conflict is described as casting a long shadow over two days of talks, with fears that Trump might weaken U.S. support for Taiwan in return for Xi’s assistance.

Trump downplayed differences with Xi over Iran, saying, “We’re going to have a long talk about it. I think he’s been relatively good, to be honest with you,” and later adding, “We have a lot of things to discuss. I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control.”

Atalayar

The Guardian reported that Trump said he expects Xi Jinping would “give me a big, fat hug when I get there,” while also quoting Trump’s insistence that Washington had “Iran very much under control.”

On Taiwan, the Guardian said Trump planned to discuss the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory, and it noted that Trump told reporters on Monday that he would speak to Xi about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

The summit itinerary described by CNBC includes trade negotiators meeting in Seoul, South Korea ahead of Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping scheduled for Thursday and Friday, and it says the agenda is closely watched for deliverables.

“Trump travels to China: what's at stake at the summit between the world's two most powerful leaders”

BBC

CNBC also said the leaders are expected to tour the historic Temple of Heaven and close with a state banquet, while the BBC said the trip will include talks, a banquet, and a visit to the Temple of Heaven.

The BBC framed the stakes as the future of world trade, rising tensions over Taiwan, and competition in advanced technologies, while also describing China’s influence over Iran as an effort to intervene discreetly as a peacemaker.

In the same BBC account, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quoted saying, “I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to hear,” and it added that the United States has tried to persuade China not to block a new United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Iran’s attacks on ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz.