Trump heads to Beijing for high-stakes Xi talks as Taiwan tensions, trade disputes test US strength

President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Beijing Wednesday for high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the world’s two largest powers prepare to negotiate about Taiwan, trade and a fragile U.S.-China relationship increasingly shaped by military tension and economic rivalry.

The meeting comes at a volatile moment for Washington, as a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran faces mounting strain following recent military exchanges in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump is expected to press Xi on China’s economic and strategic support for both Iran and Russia, including oil revenue, dual-use components and potential weapons transfers, according to senior administration officials.

Top U.S. business leaders also are traveling with Trump to Beijing, including executives from Apple, Boeing, Tesla, BlackRock and Goldman Sachs, highlighting the administration’s focus on securing economic deals alongside strategic talks.

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The White House also previewed discussions on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and China’s rapidly expanding nuclear program — areas where officials acknowledged deep mistrust and limited progress despite ongoing communication channels.

On the economic front, the administration is focusing on more targeted trade arrangements, including a proposed U.S.–China “Board of Trade” that would help manage commerce in non-sensitive goods. Officials said the framework could initially cover trade in the “double-digit billions,” with an emphasis on sectors like agriculture and aerospace.

It’s the second meeting between Trump and Xi in the second Trump administration, following their last face-to-face at the Busan Summit in South Korea in October 2025. This is Trump’s first state visit to China since 2017.

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The summit also comes after more than a year of tariff escalation and uneasy truces between Washington and Beijing, with both sides still trying to stabilize a trade relationship strained by export controls, rare earth disputes and retaliatory duties.

Trump entered office promising a far more aggressive trade posture toward China, imposing sweeping tariffs and export restrictions that triggered retaliatory measures from Beijing and rattled global markets. While both governments later agreed to a temporary trade truce reached during talks in Busan, South Korea, in 2025, many of the underlying disputes remain unresolved.

Administration officials said discussions in Beijing are expected to include a possible extension of arrangements tied to rare earth exports, along with additional Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products and aircraft.

The administration also has maintained a firm posture on Taiwan ahead of the summit. 

Officials noted the U.S. has approved more arms sales to the island in Trump’s first year than during the entirety of the previous administration, reinforcing that Washington is not easing its defense commitments despite ongoing talks with Beijing.