Trump Wraps Up Two-Day Beijing Summit With Xi Jinping Amid Trade Truce Extension and Iran Discussions
No major new agreements were announced, but officials described the tone as constructive. The summit stabilized ties without breakthroughs on the thorniest issues. Trump departed Friday for Washington.
Tommy Flynn
BEIJING — President Donald Trump concluded his first state visit to China in nearly a decade on Friday after two days of high-level meetings with President Xi Jinping focused on extending the October 2025 trade truce, addressing the Iran conflict, Taiwan arms sales, and technology competition.
Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday evening to a red-carpet welcome and motorcade route lined with illuminated “Beijing Welcome” displays. His delegation included top U.S. CEOs such as Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, and executives from Mastercard, Visa, and agriculture sectors.
Thursday’s schedule opened with a formal welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People at 10 a.m., featuring national anthems, a review of People’s Liberation Army honor guards, and Chinese schoolchildren waving U.S. and Chinese flags. The presidents then held nearly two hours of bilateral talks.
Key topics included extending the trade truce to avoid renewed tariff hikes, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan (Trump had authorized an $11 billion package in December but delayed delivery), Beijing’s purchases of Iranian oil, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and cooperation on artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
Trump described the talks as “great” and called China “beautiful.” Xi described U.S.-China relations as “the most important bilateral relationship in the world.” Trump brought the American CEOs into the meeting unscheduled; they introduced themselves and impressed Xi, according to Trump’s later Fox News interview with Sean Hannity.
Trump also visited the Temple of Heaven with First Lady Melania Trump. In the evening, the leaders attended a formal state banquet at the Great Hall of the People.
In his Hannity interview, Trump called Xi “all business,” “very smart,” and said they have a “good relationship.” He noted Xi assured him China would not provide Iran with military equipment and expressed willingness to help negotiate an end to the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump raised expanding market access for Visa and Mastercard in China and the release of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.
On Friday, Trump met Xi privately at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound, followed by a working tea and lunch. The two sides agreed to frame relations as a “constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability” to guide ties for the next three years and beyond. China expressed interest in purchasing more U.S. oil, soybeans, beef, and Boeing aircraft to reduce reliance on Middle Eastern energy. A new “Board of Trade” was discussed to resolve commercial disputes.
No major new agreements were announced, but officials described the tone as constructive. The summit stabilized ties without breakthroughs on the thorniest issues. Trump departed Friday for Washington.
The visit occurred against the backdrop of U.S. sanctions on Chinese firms aiding Iran and ongoing tensions over Taiwan. Both leaders emphasized keeping communication channels open ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterms.
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