US President Donald Trump will pay a state visit to China from May 13 to May 15 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said.
Senior US officials have indicated the meeting between both leaders will address several high-stakes topics, including Taiwan, Iran, AI technology and nuclear arms. The talks are also expected to focus on whether both nations will continue their strategic critical minerals pact, according to Reuters.
After more than half a year without direct talks, the leaders of the United States and China are preparing for a face-to-face meeting aimed at preventing further deterioration in ties strained by trade tensions and geopolitical conflicts, including the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Trump is expected to land in Beijing on Wednesday. This is the first time in nearly a decade that Trump will be visiting China.
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Trump-Jinping Meet: What To Expect?
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Economic relations are likely to dominate talks between Trump and Xi Jinping, with both sides expected to explore greater investment opportunities. Washington has recently pushed what strategy analysts refer to as the “Five B's”, centred on Chinese imports of Boeing jets, US agricultural products such as beef and soybeans, and the formation of trade and investment panels designed to separate low-risk economic cooperation from sensitive security issues, reported The New York Times.
Beijing's negotiating priorities have centred around the “Three T's”: tariffs, technology and Taiwan, with China maintaining its longstanding claim over the island. Chinese officials are expected to seek continuation of the trade truce reached last year while urging the United States to relax restrictions on advanced chip exports that China sees as vital for economic and industrial progress. Jinping is also expected to raise concerns over Washington's ties with Taiwan during discussions with Trump.
According to an official cited by Reuters, US and China may formally introduce plans for new trade and investment bodies at the upcoming meeting, but the mechanisms would likely need additional refinement before implementation. Discussions are also set to include the future of the trade ceasefire that currently permits the export of Chinese rare earth minerals to the US, although it remains uncertain whether an extension will be agreed upon this week.
A senior White House official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity on Sunday, indicated that Trump could push China more aggressively over its economic dealings with Iran, including oil purchases and the supply of products that may have both military and civilian uses. The comments came days after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent alleged that China was “funding” Tehran, Al Jazeera reported.
China's relationship with Russia could emerge as another major topic during the talks.
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"The President has spoken multiple times with General Secretary Xi Jinping about the topic of Iran and about the topic of Russia, to include the revenue that China provides to both those regimes, as well as dual-use goods, components and parts, not to mention the potential of weapons exports. I expect that conversation to continue,” an official said as per Reuters.
Trump has frequently highlighted his personal rapport with Xi Jinping, often referring to him as “a friend”, while signalling hopes of attracting increased Chinese investment into the United States. However, analysts remain sceptical that the talks will produce a sweeping economic breakthrough, with more limited agreements and an extension of last year's trade truce viewed as the most realistic outcome.
“The entire world will be hoping that the two leaders can reach agreement on at least a subset of issues … and find ways to prevent any further escalation of tensions on the remaining ones,” Eswar Prasad, professor of economics at Cornell University, told CNBC.
The previous face-to-face meeting between Trump and Jinping took place in South Korea last October, where both leaders agreed to halt an escalating trade conflict marked by steep US tariffs on Chinese imports and Beijing's threat to curb rare earth exports.
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