US President Donald Trump has left the White House to travel to Beijing, where he will meet with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping. Trump briefly spoke with reporters on Tuesday as he boarded Marine One, before landing in China on Air Force One on Wednesday. The meetings are scheduled to take place over Thursday and Friday.
In recent days, US officials have downplayed the significance of the US-Israel war with Iran during this visit. Beijing has repeatedly voiced opposition to the war, even applying covert pressure on its Iranian trading partners, but has largely avoided being drawn into the conflict.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have recently intensified calls for China to use its influence to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which transported about 20% of the world's oil supply before the war erupted.
However, Trump himself sent contradictory messages on Tuesday about the extent to which the war would be discussed during his meetings in China. He said, 'We will have a long discussion about this issue. I think he is quite good, frankly.' But minutes later, he added, 'We have many issues to discuss. I will not say that Iran is one of them, because we have Iran under very good control. I don't think we need any help regarding Iran. We will win one way or another, peacefully or otherwise.'
Trade to Take Center Stage
The upcoming meetings are the first direct exchange between the leaders of the world's two largest economies since they met on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025. This is Trump's second visit to China as president, and his first since his second term began on January 20, 2025. President Xi is expected to visit the US later this year.
Beyond the war, the US administration emphasizes that trade will be the top issue on the agenda, as Trump seeks a range of business deals. To underscore this initiative, Trump has invited a number of US business leaders to accompany him, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who previously headed Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Both sides are expected to avoid a repeat of the tariff war that characterized the early days of Trump's term, when the US imposed tariffs of 145% on Chinese goods, while China tightened export controls on rare earths, harming US industry. The two sides reached a fragile ceasefire in October last year.
China's continued support for Iran's ballistic missile program and nuclear program also risks derailing relations. Last month, Trump threatened to impose 50% tariffs on China after reports that Beijing was preparing to ship a new batch of air defense systems to Iran, but later withdrew the threat, claiming he had received a written commitment from President Xi not to supply weapons to Tehran. A few days later, Trump said the US Navy had intercepted a Chinese ship carrying a 'gift' for Iran, but neither side provided further details.
In addition, President Xi is expected to press Trump over US arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing island that China considers its territory.
