Trump-Xi Summit in Beijing Next Week Amid Iran Conflict and Trade Tensions

US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14-15 for a summit addressing trade, Taiwan, technology restrictions, and the ongoing Iran conflict. The summit, already delayed once due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, comes as China seeks to leverage what it views as America's weakened bargaining position from the unpopular Iran confrontation, while Trump seeks tangible wins like Chinese purchases of US agricultural products and Boeing jets ahead of midterm elections. China, which imports about a third of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, has positioned itself as a stability cornerstone by helping broker a ceasefire in Iran, though Washington and Tehran remain unable to agree on lasting peace. Beijing seeks US concessions including opposition to Taiwan independence, reduced high-tech export restrictions, and removal of Chinese companies from sanction lists, while Trump has warned of consequences if China delivers air defense systems to Iran.

High-Stakes Summit Dynamics and Negotiating Positions

• ▪The Trump-Xi Jinping summit is scheduled for May 14-15 according to the White House
• ▪The Trump-Xi Jinping summit was already once delayed due to the US-Israeli war with Iran
• ▪The Trump-Xi Jinping summit had originally been intended to focus on confirming crucial deals between the two sides across a range of key sectors

Historical Context of US-China Relations and Tensions

• ▪Donald Trump's 2017 visit to Beijing included a private reception in the Forbidden City
• ▪Donald Trump visited Beijing during his presidency in 2017 and was met with an elaborate red-carpet welcome
• ▪US-China rivalry has spanned trade, technology, a standoff on Taiwan, accusations relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, and a spy balloon incident
• ▪Joerg Wuttke is a former president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China
• ▪Wu Xinbo is the director at the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai
• ▪Goodwill from Donald Trump's 2017 Beijing visit quickly receded and was replaced by a near-decade of deepening rivalry between the United States and China
• ▪Joerg Wuttke is a partner at DGA Albright Stonebridge Group
• ▪Cui Hongjian is a former diplomat and an international affairs scholar at Beijing Foreign Studies University
• ▪Wu Xinbo is a Foreign Policy Advisory Committee member of the Chinese Foreign Ministry
• ▪William Klein arranged Donald Trump's visit to Beijing in 2017