Donald Trump is headed to Beijing, the first US president to visit China in a decade. The summit with Xi Jinping, originally scheduled for March, was pushed back after the Iran war erupted and upended the diplomatic calendar. Trump is expected to arrive on the evening of May 13 and stay through May 15, with bilateral meetings, a state banquet and a working lunch all planned across the two days.

Trade, tariffs and the Iran war are the three issues most likely to dominate, and on each, the two sides carry unresolved tension into the room.

Iran: China's oil dependence meets America's war

The US-Israel conflict with Iran has created a new fault line in the Washington-Beijing relationship. China sources close to 60% of its crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, making any prolonged disruption to that corridor a direct economic threat. With peace talks stalled and the Strait still contested, the Iran war is expected to feature prominently in discussions.

The relationship between Beijing and Tehran adds further complexity. China is Iran's largest oil buyer and has provided diplomatic cover for the country on the global stage. Washington has already sanctioned several Chinese firms for purchasing Iranian oil or supplying satellite imagery to the Iranian government.

Trump made pointed remarks in April, suggesting China may have supplied weapons or other military equipment to Iran, claiming US forces intercepted a vessel carrying a "gift" from China. Beijing dismissed the allegation, with a foreign ministry spokesperson rejecting what it called a false association with a foreign-flagged container ship.

Despite the friction, Trump has sought to play down any lasting damage to the relationship. He told reporters before departing that he has a "great relationship" with Xi, though US officials confirmed the question of Chinese revenue flowing to Iran, and potential arms transfers would be on the table. Trump was more direct when asked whether Iran would dominate the summit: "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."

On the other hand, the US also intends to emphasise artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in discussions with its counterpart. US officials are worried about the rapid advancement of advanced AI and the potential dangers arising from inadequate communication about these technologies.

Trade: The truce that needs extending

Trade was the issue Trump himself flagged most prominently before leaving. "We're going to be talking to President Xi about a lot of things. I would say, more than anything, trade," he told reporters.

When the two countries imposed reciprocal tariffs on each other after Trump returned to office in 2025, it set off a period of sharp economic friction. An October truce dialled tensions back, suspending some export controls and pausing proposed tariff escalations, including restrictions on Chinese rare-earth shipments. Both sides are now expected to discuss extending that arrangement.

The tariff question is not fully settled, however. China has consistently objected to American import duties, and the Trump administration has ongoing investigations into Chinese trade practices that could provide legal grounds for fresh levies, particularly after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump's earlier tariff framework in February.

Two days before Trump's arrival, China and the US announced they had jointly dismantled a cross-border drug trafficking network, a signal that both sides were capable of cooperation on at least one shared priority ahead of the summit.

Published on: May 13, 2026 8:35 AM IST