United States President Donald Trump is on his way to attend a Summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, becoming the first US president in a decade to visit the country. The Summit was supposed to be held in March, but due to the war erupting in the West Asia, it was moved to May. In two days of talks between the US and China, the key issues likely to dominate are Iran war, trade and tariffs.
According to the reports, Donald Trump is (morning in the US). For the next two days, Trump will participate in bilateral meetings with Xi Jinping. A state banquet and a working lunch are also planned during Trump’s visit. The US president will leave China on May 15.
What’s on agenda?
Iran war
The US-Israeli conflict with Iran is a new focus of tension between Washington and Beijing. Since China gets nearly 60 per cent of its crude through Strait of Hormuz and with peace talks stalemate, Iran war and disruption in oil trade is likely to come up for talks between Trump and Xi.
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What are the main topics Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are discussing in China?⌵
The primary topics for discussion between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in China are the Iran war, trade, and tariffs. These issues are expected to dominate their bilateral meetings during the summit.
How might the Iran war impact US-China relations discussed at the summit?⌵
The US-China conflict with Iran is a new point of tension. China, as Iran’s biggest oil buyer, provides diplomatic support, and the US has sanctioned Chinese firms for dealings with Iran. Potential weapons exports from China to Iran are also a concern.
What is the current status of US-China trade tariffs?⌵
Reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US and China on each other’s goods have remained in place since an October truce. Both leaders are expected to seek an extension of this détente, which dialed down some tariffs.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz a point of discussion between the US and China?⌵
The Strait of Hormuz is crucial as China imports nearly 60% of its crude oil through it. Disruptions to this trade route due to the Iran conflict raise concerns about global energy supplies and prices, making it a topic for discussion.
What is Donald Trump’s stance on the US-China trade relationship?⌵
Donald Trump has emphasized that trade would be a significant agenda item with Xi Jinping. He is eager to secure business deals and discuss a new board of trade to manage the economic ties between the two countries.
China is Iran’s biggest oil buyer and provides a measure of diplomatic support for the country on the world stage. The US has sanctioned several Chinese firms for purchasing oil from or providing satellite imagery to Iran’s government. Trump made cryptic comments on April 21 suggesting China possibly provided weapons or other potentially lethal war supplies to Iran, saying the US caught a ship with a “gift” from China. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson rejected the “false association” linking the foreign-flagged container ship with China.
Trump has downplayed any negative impact of the war on US-China relations, saying he has a “great relationship” with Xi. Nevertheless, US officials have said the revenue China provides to Iran, as well as potential weapons exports, will be discussed at the summit.
Tariffs
When Donald Trump came to power in 2025, both the countries imposed reciprocal tariffs on each other. Since October truce, import tariffs levied by the US and China on each other’s goods have remained in place.
Xi and Trump are both expected to seek an extension of the détente, which dialed down the tariffs and suspended some proposed export controls on shipments of products including Chinese rare earths.
The levies remain a source of tension in the relationship. China’s government has long complained about US tariffs, but the Trump administration is proceeding with investigations into China’s trade practices that could give it the option to impose new import duties after the president’s earlier tariffs were struck down by the US Supreme Court in February.
Two days ahead of Trump’s arrival, China said it had dismantled a cross-border drug trafficking network in a joint operation with the US, signaling progress on the issue.
Trade
Before he departed to China, he would be taking up with Xi Jinping.
“We’re going to be talking to President Xi about a lot of things. I would say, more than anything, trade,” Trump told reporters.
When asked if Iran war would also be discussed with China, he said, “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. We’re either going to make a deal or they’re going to be decimated one way or the other.”
Trump is eager to secure business deals and hammer out details of a new board of trade to manage ties between the world’s two largest economies when he meets Xi, even as the Iran war has cast a shadow over the summit. The two sides are expected to discuss an extension of the trade truce they reached in October.
(With Bloomberg inputs)
