SCMP: US and China Accelerate Summit Talks; Trump May View Military Parade and Visit Temple of Heaven
As plans for a mid-May Trump-Xi summit progress, negotiations focus on trade ('3Bs') and Taiwan, though the US-Iran conflict poses a risk of postponement.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 14:02
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 14:31 (29 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 06:37 (88h 5m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA, Taipei, 15th) The White House previously announced that US President Donald Trump's visit to China has been postponed to May 14 and 15. The South China Morning Post reported today, citing several people familiar with the itinerary planning, that negotiations between the two sides regarding the substantive outcomes of the meeting and the itinerary are accelerating. This includes the possibility of Trump visiting the Temple of Heaven in Beijing and the Chinese side holding a military parade.
The report states that if the Trump-Xi meeting is held in mid-May as scheduled, Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on the 14th for bilateral talks with Xi Jinping. Chinese officials suggested that during Trump's 36-hour itinerary in Beijing, he would visit the Temple of Heaven on the 15th and depart the same day. The relevant itinerary is still under consideration. During his visit to China in 2017, Trump visited the Forbidden City.
Analysts say that Trump's May visit to China has been shortened by one day from the originally planned three days, reflecting a shrinkage in the substantive outcomes of the Trump-Xi meeting and a downgrade in the goal of repairing US-China tensions.
The report also stated that the state banquet hosted by China for Trump on the 14th may include some US business leaders, but their level of participation in Trump's visit to China remains unclear.
Experts have differing views on whether Trump will further delay the mid-May Trump-Xi meeting due to the US-Iran war. Jeff Moon, head of the consulting firm China Moon Strategies, said there is a more than 50% chance that the mid-May Trump-Xi meeting will be delayed because the US-Iran war will continue to consume Trump's energy. The impact of the war is spreading everywhere and cannot be ignored; Trump visiting China while the crisis continues would not be interpreted positively at home.
Moon added that if the goal is merely to maintain stability rather than seek a breakthrough, Trump and Xi Jinping could continue to abide by the tariff truce agreement without meeting. If it is proven that China is providing military aid to Iran, there is a 90% chance that the visit to China will be postponed indefinitely.
However, Bonnie Glaser, director of the Indo-Pacific program at The German Marshall Fund, stated that although the war is ongoing, Trump still views the summit favorably.
Glaser said, "This will primarily be an event showcasing pomp and ceremony. Trump seems to want to participate in or witness a military parade. Seeing the Chinese People's Liberation Army will leave a deep impression on him."
The report stated that as the Trump-Xi meeting approaches, all parties are focusing their attention on the practical outcomes that can be achieved. The US side is pushing the "3Bs", namely Boeing aircraft, Beans (soybeans), and Beef. Analysts believe that China purchasing US soybeans and Boeing aircraft are relatively easy concessions, and the US has not asked China to change its state-led economic model.
People familiar with the itinerary planning said that a more difficult goal for China to achieve is to have the US change its stance on Taiwan, namely explicitly opposing Taiwan independence and supporting unification.
Multiple sources said that China views the Trump-Xi meeting as a historic opportunity to change the status quo. In February of this year, the US State Department updated the description of US-Taiwan relations on its official website, deleting the long-standing US position of "not supporting Taiwan independence" and adding the expectation that cross-strait differences can be resolved in a manner "free from coercion and acceptable to the people on both sides of the strait." Chinese officials have expressed strong opposition.
Glaser said she does not think Trump will make any statements, noting that Trump has always been very cautious on the Taiwan issue and knows what he is doing. (Editor: Chen Kai-yu/Zhu Jian-ling) 1150415
(CNA, Taipei, 15th) The White House previously announced that US President Donald Trump's visit to China has been postponed to May 14 and 15. The South China Morning Post reported today, citing several people familiar with the itinerary planning, that negotiations between the two sides regarding the substantive outcomes of the meeting and the itinerary are accelerating. This includes the possibility of Trump visiting the Temple of Heaven in Beijing and the Chinese side holding a military parade.
The report states that if the Trump-Xi meeting is held in mid-May as scheduled, Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on the 14th for bilateral talks with Xi Jinping. Chinese officials suggested that during Trump's 36-hour itinerary in Beijing, he would visit the Temple of Heaven on the 15th and depart the same day. The relevant itinerary is still under consideration. During his visit to China in 2017, Trump visited the Forbidden City.
Analysts say that Trump's May visit to China has been shortened by one day from the originally planned three days, reflecting a shrinkage in the substantive outcomes of the Trump-Xi meeting and a downgrade in the goal of repairing US-China tensions.
The report also stated that the state banquet hosted by China for Trump on the 14th may include some US business leaders, but their level of participation in Trump's visit to China remains unclear.
Experts have differing views on whether Trump will further delay the mid-May Trump-Xi meeting due to the US-Iran war. Jeff Moon, head of the consulting firm China Moon Strategies, said there is a more than 50% chance that the mid-May Trump-Xi meeting will be delayed because the US-Iran war will continue to consume Trump's energy. The impact of the war is spreading everywhere and cannot be ignored; Trump visiting China while the crisis continues would not be interpreted positively at home.
Moon added that if the goal is merely to maintain stability rather than seek a breakthrough, Trump and Xi Jinping could continue to abide by the tariff truce agreement without meeting. If it is proven that China is providing military aid to Iran, there is a 90% chance that the visit to China will be postponed indefinitely.
However, Bonnie Glaser, director of the Indo-Pacific program at The German Marshall Fund, stated that although the war is ongoing, Trump still views the summit favorably.
Glaser said, "This will primarily be an event showcasing pomp and ceremony. Trump seems to want to participate in or witness a military parade. Seeing the Chinese People's Liberation Army will leave a deep impression on him."
The report stated that as the Trump-Xi meeting approaches, all parties are focusing their attention on the practical outcomes that can be achieved. The US side is pushing the "3Bs", namely Boeing aircraft, Beans (soybeans), and Beef. Analysts believe that China purchasing US soybeans and Boeing aircraft are relatively easy concessions, and the US has not asked China to change its state-led economic model.
People familiar with the itinerary planning said that a more difficult goal for China to achieve is to have the US change its stance on Taiwan, namely explicitly opposing Taiwan independence and supporting unification.
Multiple sources said that China views the Trump-Xi meeting as a historic opportunity to change the status quo. In February of this year, the US State Department updated the description of US-Taiwan relations on its official website, deleting the long-standing US position of "not supporting Taiwan independence" and adding the expectation that cross-strait differences can be resolved in a manner "free from coercion and acceptable to the people on both sides of the strait." Chinese officials have expressed strong opposition.
Glaser said she does not think Trump will make any statements, noting that Trump has always been very cautious on the Taiwan issue and knows what he is doing. (Editor: Chen Kai-yu/Zhu Jian-ling) 1150415