China Adviser Says Time ‘Running Out’ To Set Up Xi-Trump Meeting

The US and China need to pick up the pace of preparations if a leaders’ summit is to take place in the fall, according to an adviser to the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, drawing attention to the tight timeline facing the two countries in pursuing better ties.

“If we are going to make this happen, we need to make preparations as soon as possible, and time is running out,” Wu Xinbo, director at Fudan University’s Center for American Studies in Shanghai, said on Friday.

Wu’s message of urgency follows growing confidence that ties between the world’s two biggest economies are on the mend after months of hostility and tit-for-tat tariffs. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping last spoke in early June.

“In the last one week, I have seen tangible progress by both sides, Beijing and Washington, in delivering what they promised to deliver,” Wu said, referring to a trade truce recently struck by the two countries.

“So that is quite a positive sign that finally we get the ball rolling,” added Wu, who last year led a group of experts in the ministry to meet politicians and business executives in the US. 

Beijing and Washington reached a trade framework last month following talks in London, which remains in effect through mid-August. China agreed to resume shipments of rare earths — key inputs for wind turbines, electric vehicles and military hardware. The US offered to ease some export restrictions on ethane, chip-design software and jet engine components.

Signs emerged in recent weeks that both sides are beginning to deliver on their promises. Chinese rare earth magnets are flowing, although not quite to the levels seen before Beijing implemented export curbs in early April, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said this week. Washington has lifted recent export license requirements for chip design software sales in China, and approved American ethane exports to the Asian nation without additional approvals. 

Trump’s administration is meanwhile reaching out to business executives to weigh interest in accompanying him on a possible trip to China this year, according to people familiar with the matter. When asked for comment, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that a visit to China hasn’t been scheduled at this point. 

Wu’s comments, made on a panel during the World Peace Forum in Beijing, came a day after a senior Chinese official, Liu Jianchao, expressed optimism over the future of China’s ties with the US. 

While calling a war between the two countries “unimaginable,” Liu highlighted Taiwan and the South China Sea as possible flashpoints. 

Given Trump’s expressed desire to meet with Xi in China this year, the two sides need to move more quickly to make that happen, according to Wu. 

Wu said a trip to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in October could also provide an opportunity for the Republican to visit China. 

A next step will involve broadening discussion channels between Beijing and Washington beyond trade-focused officials to include other parts of government, including the diplomatic corps and law enforcement agencies.

“You cannot just let the two economic teams arrange for the state visit — for the summit,” Wu said. Now is the time for Wang Yi to meet with his counterpart,” he added, referring to China’s foreign minister.

The Shanghai-based expert on US-China relations said Trump should do two things during his visit to Beijing: clearly state that China is America’s most important commercial partner; and re-affirm that the US doesn’t support Taiwan’s independence and favors “China’s peaceful reunification.”

“Trump, he’s a smarty guy,” said Wu. “He knows how to make a big deal for the sake of US national interests. He will say the right thing when he’s in Beijing.”