US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing on May 14 for high-stakes talks covering trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and ongoing global conflicts, including the war involving Iran. The summit marked Trump’s first visit to China since returning to office and comes amid efforts to stabilise relations between the world’s two largest economies.
During opening remarks at the Great Hall of the People, Trump praised Xi as a “great leader” and said relations between the United States and China would become “better than ever.” Xi said the two countries should be “partners rather than rivals” and warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead to confrontation.
The leaders were expected to discuss tariffs, technology restrictions, artificial intelligence and regional security issues. Reports also said Trump sought China’s assistance regarding tensions linked to Iran and stability in the Strait of Hormuz.
Several high-profile US business executives, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, were seen accompanying the American delegation during the Beijing visit. Security was tightened across the Chinese capital ahead of the summit, which analysts described as one of the most significant US-China meetings in recent years.
