Trump-Xi Meeting Imminent: Reuters Reports Taiwan, Trade, and Iran as Key Issues
The upcoming Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing next week is reported to focus on Taiwan, trade, and Iran issues. While both sides hope to ease tensions, expectations for significant breakthroughs are limited.
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- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 20:26
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Beijing, May 7, comprehensive foreign report) US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing next week and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both sides hope to use this opportunity to stabilize the strained bilateral relations over issues such as trade, Taiwan, and the conflict in Iran.
Reuters reported that although it is expected that both sides may achieve small-scale results, such as an extension of the trade truce agreement signed in October last year, corporate executives and analysts widely believe that major breakthroughs are unlikely at this summit.
The following are the key issues compiled by Reuters for this summit scheduled for May 14-15, which also marks the first time a US leader has visited China in nearly a decade.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently reiterated during a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the Taiwan issue concerns China's core interests and is the biggest risk point in US-China relations. He stated that the US should uphold its commitments, make correct choices, open new spaces for US-China cooperation, and make due efforts for world peace.
According to sources involved in the preparations for the Trump-Xi meeting, Beijing has privately continued to send signals to the Trump administration, requesting that the US adjust its wording on "Taiwan independence."
This is similar to Xi Jinping's request to then-US President Joe Biden at the 2024 summit, when he hoped the US would change its stance from "not supporting" Taiwan independence to "opposing" Taiwan independence.
Analysts warn that any adjustment in US wording, no matter how subtle, could affect Beijing's assessment of US resolve to support Taiwan and raise new questions externally about Washington's commitment to Asian security.
As the US midterm elections approach in November, Trump is eager to seek trade concessions from Beijing. The US and China are currently drafting a trade committee mechanism to identify products that can expand bilateral trade without harming each other's national security or critical supply chains.
Proposals include China's purchase of US poultry, beef, and non-soybean crops, and a commitment to buy 25 million metric tons of US soybeans annually for the next three years. In addition, the US also hopes that China will purchase Boeing aircraft, coal, oil, and natural gas.
Dennis Wilder, a senior fellow at Georgetown University and a former CIA China analyst, pointed out that China has been in long-standing talks with Boeing, and the contract is reportedly expected to cover 500 Boeing 737 MAX jets and dozens of wide-body aircraft.
This contract has been shelved for years due to Trump's past threats to cut off key engine component supplies to China and is now awaiting signing.
Beijing hopes that the US will relax restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports and has expressed concern about a bill aimed at preventing China from obtaining critical chip manufacturing equipment.
Meanwhile, the US hopes Beijing will allow the export of rare earths and critical minerals to US companies. China's controls on rare earth exports have caused widespread disruption to the US automotive and aerospace manufacturing industries.
Both countries have stepped up economic pressure tactics to use as additional leverage in negotiations.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously stated that the two leaders will discuss the Iran conflict and urge China to join US international efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz and restore international shipping.
Beijing believes that ending this war is Washington's responsibility, as the conflict threatens China's energy supply and could strain its relations with Gulf countries.
Although China has been working behind the scenes to persuade Iran to engage in peace talks with the US in Pakistan last month, analysts believe Beijing does not want to be seen as taking orders from Trump. (Compiled by: Chen Yen-chun, Liu Shu-chin)
(Central News Agency, Beijing, May 7, comprehensive foreign report) US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing next week and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both sides hope to use this opportunity to stabilize the strained bilateral relations over issues such as trade, Taiwan, and the conflict in Iran.
Reuters reported that although it is expected that both sides may achieve small-scale results, such as an extension of the trade truce agreement signed in October last year, corporate executives and analysts widely believe that major breakthroughs are unlikely at this summit.
The following are the key issues compiled by Reuters for this summit scheduled for May 14-15, which also marks the first time a US leader has visited China in nearly a decade.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently reiterated during a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the Taiwan issue concerns China's core interests and is the biggest risk point in US-China relations. He stated that the US should uphold its commitments, make correct choices, open new spaces for US-China cooperation, and make due efforts for world peace.
According to sources involved in the preparations for the Trump-Xi meeting, Beijing has privately continued to send signals to the Trump administration, requesting that the US adjust its wording on "Taiwan independence."
This is similar to Xi Jinping's request to then-US President Joe Biden at the 2024 summit, when he hoped the US would change its stance from "not supporting" Taiwan independence to "opposing" Taiwan independence.
Analysts warn that any adjustment in US wording, no matter how subtle, could affect Beijing's assessment of US resolve to support Taiwan and raise new questions externally about Washington's commitment to Asian security.
As the US midterm elections approach in November, Trump is eager to seek trade concessions from Beijing. The US and China are currently drafting a trade committee mechanism to identify products that can expand bilateral trade without harming each other's national security or critical supply chains.
Proposals include China's purchase of US poultry, beef, and non-soybean crops, and a commitment to buy 25 million metric tons of US soybeans annually for the next three years. In addition, the US also hopes that China will purchase Boeing aircraft, coal, oil, and natural gas.
Dennis Wilder, a senior fellow at Georgetown University and a former CIA China analyst, pointed out that China has been in long-standing talks with Boeing, and the contract is reportedly expected to cover 500 Boeing 737 MAX jets and dozens of wide-body aircraft.
This contract has been shelved for years due to Trump's past threats to cut off key engine component supplies to China and is now awaiting signing.
Beijing hopes that the US will relax restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports and has expressed concern about a bill aimed at preventing China from obtaining critical chip manufacturing equipment.
Meanwhile, the US hopes Beijing will allow the export of rare earths and critical minerals to US companies. China's controls on rare earth exports have caused widespread disruption to the US automotive and aerospace manufacturing industries.
Both countries have stepped up economic pressure tactics to use as additional leverage in negotiations.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously stated that the two leaders will discuss the Iran conflict and urge China to join US international efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz and restore international shipping.
Beijing believes that ending this war is Washington's responsibility, as the conflict threatens China's energy supply and could strain its relations with Gulf countries.
Although China has been working behind the scenes to persuade Iran to engage in peace talks with the US in Pakistan last month, analysts believe Beijing does not want to be seen as taking orders from Trump. (Compiled by: Chen Yen-chun, Liu Shu-chin)