- Trump, business leaders meet Xi on trade, global issues.
- US seeks China’s help resolving Iran war, Taiwan concerns.
- Trade pressures and domestic challenges shape talks for Trump.
- Global order shift noted: China’s influence has grown.
US President Donald Trump is set to hold crucial talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, with trade tensions, Taiwan and the Iran war expected to dominate discussions between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump arrived in China accompanied by a delegation of prominent American business leaders, including Tesla chief Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The visit comes as several US firms seek greater clarity and smoother business operations in China amid prolonged economic and geopolitical friction between Washington and Beijing.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump said he intended to ask Xi to “open up” China further to American businesses. The two leaders are scheduled to meet at the Great Hall of the People before touring Beijing’s UNESCO-listed Temple of Heaven and attending a state banquet later in the day. According to the White House, the programme will continue on Friday with tea and lunch meetings.
A Changed Global Order Shapes the Talks
The meeting marks the first major face-to-face engagement between Trump and Xi since Trump’s earlier visit to China in 2017, but the global landscape surrounding the two leaders has changed significantly over the past nine years.
Analysts say Thursday’s talks will unfold against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving multipolar world order, with China now holding far greater global influence than it did during Trump’s previous presidency. Ali Wyne, senior adviser for US-China relations at the International Crisis Group, said the dynamic between Washington and Beijing has shifted noticeably.
Speaking to Reuters, Wyne noted that back then “China was trying to persuade the United States of its growing status… This time around it’s the United States, unprompted, of its own volition, that is acknowledging that status.”
Wyne also pointed to Trump’s revival of the “G2” concept, referring to a US-China superpower pairing, during an earlier meeting with Xi on the sidelines of an APEC summit in South Korea last October.
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Trade Pressures and Domestic Challenges for Trump
Trade remains one of the most sensitive issues between the two countries, especially as Trump faces increasing pressure at home over tariffs and inflation.
US court rulings have restricted Trump’s ability to impose tariffs freely on Chinese and other foreign exports, limiting one of his most prominent economic tools. At the same time, the ongoing Iran war has fuelled inflation concerns within the United States, creating fresh political pressure ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The growing economic strain has also intensified concerns within the Republican Party, with fears that rising costs and global instability could weaken the party’s chances of retaining control of Congress.
Iran and Taiwan Expected to Dominate Discussions
Beyond trade, Trump is also expected to urge Xi to use China’s influence with Iran to help broker an agreement with Washington aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.
However, analysts remain sceptical about how far Beijing would be willing to go. Iran is widely viewed as one of China’s closest strategic partners in West Asia and serves as an important counterweight to US influence in the region. Experts believe Xi may be reluctant to pressure Tehran into agreeing to a ceasefire or scaling back military support.
Taiwan is also expected to emerge as a major flashpoint during the discussions. China claims the democratically governed island as its own territory and has repeatedly objected to US military support for Taipei.
On Wednesday, Beijing again voiced strong opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan. Although Washington does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, US law requires the country to provide the island with the means to defend itself, a policy that continues to anger Chinese officials.
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