Trump Revisit to Beijing: AP Reports High-Standard Treatment of 2017 Unlikely to Be Replicated
US President Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing this week, but reports suggest that the high-standard treatment he received in 2017 is unlikely to be replicated due to Beijing's strong economic ties with Iran and long-standing US-China trade friction. Discussions are expected to focus on establishing a new trade committee and other cooperation areas.
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- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 11:32
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Washington, 10th, comprehensive foreign report) US President Trump will visit China this week, and he said Chinese President Xi Jinping will give him a "big hug" upon his arrival. However, Beijing's deep economic ties with Iran, coupled with long-standing US-China trade friction, may cast a shadow over this trip.
The Associated Press reported that Trump has recently been less enthusiastic about long-haul flights and dislikes being away from the White House or his private properties in Florida and New Jersey for extended periods. He will arrive in Beijing on the evening of the 13th, attend a welcome ceremony the next morning, and hold a one-on-one meeting with Xi Jinping, after which the two will visit the Temple of Heaven together.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Trump will attend a state dinner on the evening of the 14th and depart Beijing after a tea reception and working lunch with Xi Jinping on the 15th. She stated that the two sides will discuss establishing a new "trade committee" to allow the two countries to continue dialogue on economic issues and promote cooperation in key industries such as energy, aerospace, and agriculture.
Although this visit is still expected to be full of ceremonies and grandeur, its scale may not match Trump's first visit to China in 2017.
Jonathan Czin, a scholar at the Brookings Institution and former Director for China on the National Security Council (NSC), pointed out: "Even before the Iran conflict fully escalated, Beijing did not intend to arrange the kind of 'state visit-plus' like last time, because the current situation is quite tense."
●Xi Jinping has a 'deeper understanding' of Trump
When Trump visited China in 2017, Beijing welcomed him with high-standard courtesies, not only laying out a red carpet but also having a military band play military music and children waving flags and shouting "Welcome." Trump also visited the Forbidden City at that time and enjoyed a private dinner with First Lady Melania Trump in the Palace Museum, making him the first foreign leader since 1949 to receive such 'imperial treatment.'
In addition, the Chinese side also held a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, arranged a military parade and a state dinner, and even played a clip of Trump's granddaughter Arabella Kushner singing in Chinese.
Ali Wyne, a Senior Advisor for US-China Relations Research and Initiatives at the International Crisis Group think tank, stated that the Chinese side may still do its best to make Trump believe that he has just completed an extraordinary state visit when he leaves Beijing.
However, he pointed out, "the role of these grand ceremonies is different now than during Trump's first visit to China," because "Xi Jinping now has a deeper understanding of Trump, and the current national security and defense strategy of the Trump administration already regards China as a peer competitor."
Currently, expectations for what Trump's visit to China will achieve may be lower than last time. Czin said that Beijing may not propose major breakthroughs on trade or other issues this time because they are "reverse operating" against the upcoming US midterm elections, believing that the closer it gets to Election Day, "the more bargaining chips China will have."
The Republican Party is currently trying to retain control of Congress, even though polls show that most Americans are dissatisfied with Trump's economic policies and believe that the US is too deeply involved in the Iran issue. However, Kelly emphasized that Trump values substantive results over symbolism, and said that the two leaders maintain a good relationship, so this summit still holds significant meaning, both symbolically and substantively.
●Xi and Trump may meet frequently this year
Trump may meet Xi Jinping four times within eight months this year. In addition to this trip to Beijing, Trump also plans to host Xi Jinping at the White House, as well as attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November and the G20 summit in Doral, Florida, in December.
Although not all expected meetings may materialize, Wyne believes that Xi Jinping may still try to gain as many economic and security interests as possible in relevant meetings.
Trump stated in an interview in 2024 that he and Xi Jinping get along very well. Trump even hinted then that based on Xi Jinping's "respect" for him, it might not be necessary to use force to ensure China does not invade Taiwan. However, he has also recently talked about possibly selling weapons to Taiwan.
Trump was originally scheduled to visit Beijing in March this year, but the trip was postponed due to the outbreak of the Iran war.
He tried to push China to intervene and help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was blockaded by Iran. Although Beijing did not provide substantial assistance, it did use its influence as Iran's largest oil buyer to facilitate the current fragile ceasefire agreement.
The White House stated that Trump is expected to pressure China on the Iran issue. Beijing has close ties with Tehran, and this war may also impact China's already slowing economy. If China can help establish lasting peace, it might become an important bargaining chip in trade negotiations with the Trump administration.
●Trade issues remain a sticking point
During Trump's visit to China in 2017, non-binding trade agreements totaling US$250 billion were announced, although some of them were never truly implemented. After Trump announced a large-scale increase in global tariffs last year, China immediately stopped purchasing soybeans from the US and intensified restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals needed by US factories.
However, US-China tensions have eased since the two countries reached a trade truce agreement last autumn, limiting mutual tariff increases.
Kelly stated that Trump's trip "will not be empty-handed, and the American people can expect that the President will bring back more favorable agreements for the United States during his visit to China." (Compiled by Liu Wen-Yu) 1150511
(Central News Agency, Washington, 10th, comprehensive foreign report) US President Trump will visit China this week, and he said Chinese President Xi Jinping will give him a "big hug" upon his arrival. However, Beijing's deep economic ties with Iran, coupled with long-standing US-China trade friction, may cast a shadow over this trip.
The Associated Press reported that Trump has recently been less enthusiastic about long-haul flights and dislikes being away from the White House or his private properties in Florida and New Jersey for extended periods. He will arrive in Beijing on the evening of the 13th, attend a welcome ceremony the next morning, and hold a one-on-one meeting with Xi Jinping, after which the two will visit the Temple of Heaven together.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Trump will attend a state dinner on the evening of the 14th and depart Beijing after a tea reception and working lunch with Xi Jinping on the 15th. She stated that the two sides will discuss establishing a new "trade committee" to allow the two countries to continue dialogue on economic issues and promote cooperation in key industries such as energy, aerospace, and agriculture.
Although this visit is still expected to be full of ceremonies and grandeur, its scale may not match Trump's first visit to China in 2017.
Jonathan Czin, a scholar at the Brookings Institution and former Director for China on the National Security Council (NSC), pointed out: "Even before the Iran conflict fully escalated, Beijing did not intend to arrange the kind of 'state visit-plus' like last time, because the current situation is quite tense."
●Xi Jinping has a 'deeper understanding' of Trump
When Trump visited China in 2017, Beijing welcomed him with high-standard courtesies, not only laying out a red carpet but also having a military band play military music and children waving flags and shouting "Welcome." Trump also visited the Forbidden City at that time and enjoyed a private dinner with First Lady Melania Trump in the Palace Museum, making him the first foreign leader since 1949 to receive such 'imperial treatment.'
In addition, the Chinese side also held a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, arranged a military parade and a state dinner, and even played a clip of Trump's granddaughter Arabella Kushner singing in Chinese.
Ali Wyne, a Senior Advisor for US-China Relations Research and Initiatives at the International Crisis Group think tank, stated that the Chinese side may still do its best to make Trump believe that he has just completed an extraordinary state visit when he leaves Beijing.
However, he pointed out, "the role of these grand ceremonies is different now than during Trump's first visit to China," because "Xi Jinping now has a deeper understanding of Trump, and the current national security and defense strategy of the Trump administration already regards China as a peer competitor."
Currently, expectations for what Trump's visit to China will achieve may be lower than last time. Czin said that Beijing may not propose major breakthroughs on trade or other issues this time because they are "reverse operating" against the upcoming US midterm elections, believing that the closer it gets to Election Day, "the more bargaining chips China will have."
The Republican Party is currently trying to retain control of Congress, even though polls show that most Americans are dissatisfied with Trump's economic policies and believe that the US is too deeply involved in the Iran issue. However, Kelly emphasized that Trump values substantive results over symbolism, and said that the two leaders maintain a good relationship, so this summit still holds significant meaning, both symbolically and substantively.
●Xi and Trump may meet frequently this year
Trump may meet Xi Jinping four times within eight months this year. In addition to this trip to Beijing, Trump also plans to host Xi Jinping at the White House, as well as attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November and the G20 summit in Doral, Florida, in December.
Although not all expected meetings may materialize, Wyne believes that Xi Jinping may still try to gain as many economic and security interests as possible in relevant meetings.
Trump stated in an interview in 2024 that he and Xi Jinping get along very well. Trump even hinted then that based on Xi Jinping's "respect" for him, it might not be necessary to use force to ensure China does not invade Taiwan. However, he has also recently talked about possibly selling weapons to Taiwan.
Trump was originally scheduled to visit Beijing in March this year, but the trip was postponed due to the outbreak of the Iran war.
He tried to push China to intervene and help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was blockaded by Iran. Although Beijing did not provide substantial assistance, it did use its influence as Iran's largest oil buyer to facilitate the current fragile ceasefire agreement.
The White House stated that Trump is expected to pressure China on the Iran issue. Beijing has close ties with Tehran, and this war may also impact China's already slowing economy. If China can help establish lasting peace, it might become an important bargaining chip in trade negotiations with the Trump administration.
●Trade issues remain a sticking point
During Trump's visit to China in 2017, non-binding trade agreements totaling US$250 billion were announced, although some of them were never truly implemented. After Trump announced a large-scale increase in global tariffs last year, China immediately stopped purchasing soybeans from the US and intensified restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals needed by US factories.
However, US-China tensions have eased since the two countries reached a trade truce agreement last autumn, limiting mutual tariff increases.
Kelly stated that Trump's trip "will not be empty-handed, and the American people can expect that the President will bring back more favorable agreements for the United States during his visit to China." (Compiled by Liu Wen-Yu) 1150511