WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump will press China’s Xi Jinping on Iran when they meet in Beijing in coming days, but their “highly symbolic” superpower summit will focus on easing trade tensions, officials said on May 10.
Mr Trump’s first trip to China in his second term will feature pomp and ceremony including a tour of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing and a lavish state banquet, the White House said.
Topics including tariffs, Taiwan, and the race for AI technology and critical minerals are also set to come up in the meeting between the leaders of the world’s biggest economies.
“This will be a visit of tremendous symbolic significance,” Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told reporters on a call.
“But of course, President Trump never travels for symbolism alone. The American people can expect the president to deliver more good deals on behalf of our country.”
Ms Kelly said Mr Trump’s visit would focus on “rebalancing the relationship with China and prioritising reciprocity and fairness to restore American economic independence.”
Mr Trump will arrive in Beijing on the evening of May 13 for the visit, which he originally postponed in March due to the ongoing Iran war.
There will be a welcome ceremony and a bilateral meeting with Xi on the morning of May 14, followed by a visit to the Temple of Heaven that afternoon and a state banquet in the evening, said Ms Kelly.
Mr Trump and Mr Xi will then have a bilateral tea and working lunch on May 15 before the US leader returns to Washington.
China’s Xi and his wife are expected to pay a reciprocal visit to Washington later in 2026, said Ms Kelly.
But with Mr Trump still seeking an end to the Iran war launched by the United States and Israel on Feb 28, the US president will also seek to push Tehran’s ally Beijing to help.
“I would expect the president to apply pressure” over Iran, a senior administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity when asked if Mr Trump would pressure Mr Xi on the subject.
The official added that Mr Trump had raised concerns about Chinese revenue for Iran and Russia through oil sales “multiple times” in calls with Mr Xi, as well as sales of military-civilian dual-role goods.
“I expect that conversation to continue,” the official added.
Recent US sanctions on China over the Iran war are also likely to come up, added the official.
The United States and China are also set to discuss extending a year-long trade truce the two leaders agreed to in October 2025. But tensions remain high over Mr Trump’s sweeping tariffs.
A second US official was cagey when asked about whether an extension was likely to be agreed on Mr Trump’s trip.
“It’s not clear yet if that’s going to be extended now, or something to be extended later. We are in pretty frequent contact with the Chinese on this,” the official told reporters.
“I think what both sides want is stability.”
Mr Trump and Mr Xi were also set to discuss a so-called “Board of Trade” grouping Chinese and US officials that would “identify areas of the mutual interest in trade, such as agricultural purchases, purchases of aircraft, etc,” the official said.
Taiwan was also likely to come up, with China pursuing its claim against the self-governing island that the US has sold huge quantities of arms to.
Mr Trump and Mr Xi have held “an ongoing conversation” about Taiwan, the first US official said. “Certainly, the last couple of times they’ve interacted it has been a point of discussion.” AFP
