Trade, Iran, and Taiwan are on the agenda when Trump arrives in China to hold high-stakes discussions with Xi. 17 hours agoBrandon DrenonUS president Donald Trump descended from Air Force One to Beijing on Wednesday night, greeted by pomp and pageantry before a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. During their two-day summit, the superpowers will discuss tariffs and competition over technology as well as the war in Iran and America’s relations with Taiwan. Trump returns to China a decade later with a stronger, more assertive China. Trump was welcomed on the red carpet by Chinese vice-president Han Zheng. This is seen as a sign of respect from Beijing for the US President, after a lesser-level leader welcomed Trump on his previous visit. The US president, along with his son Eric Trump, was accompanied by a number of US tech titans including Elon Musk of Tesla and Jensen Huang of Nvidia. Other CEOs travelling with Trump are Tim Cook of Apple and Larry Fink of BlackRock. Kelly Ortberg, the CEO of Boeing, is also expected to travel. “I will ask President Xi, a leader of extraordinary distinction, ‘open up’ China, so that these brilliant individuals can work their magic and help bring the People’s Republic of China to an even greater level,” Trump said ahead of his arrival in a social media post. Last year, US imported more goods from China than they exported. China has increased its demand for US-made computer chips to portray itself as a formidable competitor in the AI arms race. Many Americans are concerned that Chinese firms may steal their technology. This has led to tighter export restrictions. Beijing can use its leverage to get rare earth metals that are essential for high-tech industries. This was a tool it used against Trump’s tariffs. What to know when Trump visits Xi, ChinaThe war with Iran is also likely to be on the agenda. Beijing is under increasing pressure from the US to use economic and political influence on Iran. Trump told reporters before leaving for China that he and Xi would have a “long conversation” about Iran. He also insisted, “I don’t believe we need any assistance” in resolving this conflict. Tensions over Taiwan will also be a backdrop to the meeting. The Trump administration has adopted a mixed strategy with Taipei. It approved a massive arms agreement while downplaying the willingness to defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression. A bipartisan group sent a letter to Trump on Friday, asking him to affirm US backing for Taiwan and to remind China’s President of the $14bn in arms sales to Taiwan that Congress approved last year. The letter stated that “you can make it clear to Beijing that American support for Taiwan will not be negotiable as you seek to level out the economic playing fields.” Trump will attend a welcome ceremony at China’s Great Hall of the People on Thursday. He will also participate in a state dinner, bilateral meetings, a “friendship picture” in Beijing’s Zhongnanhai Garden, and a state reception.
