Trump-Xi Beijing Summit Looms as Trade Talks and Taiwan Top the Agenda
CNBC reported Monday that the Trump-Xi summit is anchored by a marathon of pre-summit diplomacy stretching across Tokyo and Seoul. Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet in Beijing on Thursday and Friday. The agenda includes Taiwan arms sales, trade, and the unresolved war in Iran.
A Week of Meetings Before the Main Event
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent landed in Japan on Monday. He is scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Tuesday. Japan is heavily exposed to Middle East instability, importing roughly 75% of its oil from the region. Bessent’s stop comes at a delicate moment. Takaichi made comments last November suggesting Tokyo would back Taiwan if Beijing moved militarily against the island. Beijing responded sharply. She has not walked back those remarks. Trump and Takaichi agreed in March to support peace across the Taiwan Strait, per the White House. Japan will scrutinize any official language on Taiwan that emerges from the summit.
Trade Negotiators Convene in Seoul
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng is leading a delegation to South Korea from Tuesday into Wednesday. His counterpart across the table will be Bessent. China’s Commerce Ministry confirmed the trip, citing the earlier Busan summit between Trump and Xi last October as a reference point. Confirmation came late, a sign of how compressed the planning timeline has been. Analysts at Nomura cautioned against expecting sweeping breakthroughs. Chief China Economist Ting Lu wrote in a note that the summit is more likely to focus on preventing unnecessary escalation than on building lasting structural agreements. He flagged the Iran-Hormuz crisis as the single most pressing item on the table.
Background: A Diplomatic Calendar Built Around Tension
The week’s itinerary reflects how intertwined U.S.-China relations have become with regional security dynamics. The Iran war has disrupted global energy flows and put pressure on Asian economies dependent on Gulf oil. Separately, tariff disputes and technology competition have kept bilateral tensions elevated throughout 2025 and into this year.
CEOs in Tow as Trump Arrives in Beijing
Trump is due to touch down in Beijing on Wednesday evening. Thursday’s schedule includes a formal welcoming ceremony, a bilateral session with Xi, and a tour of the Temple of Heaven. A state banquet closes the day. The White House has invited more than a dozen executives, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was notably absent from the list.
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