Trump heads to China for high-stakes summit with Xi; Iran, AI security on agenda

Donald Trump will travel to Beijing this week for summit talks with Xi Jinping on Iran, technology, security and trade. The meeting is being watched as a key test of how both powers manage strategic rivalry and economic tensions.

In Short

• Trump to visit Beijing from May 13 to 15 for summit with Xi Jinping
• US to press China on Iran ties, trade, technology and security
• Focus on AI, cybersecurity, nuclear arms control and crisis management

US President Donald Trump is set to travel to Beijing this week for a closely watched summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with Washington signalling that it plans to press China on its ties with Iran, emerging technologies, trade imbalances and global security issues.

The three-day visit, scheduled from May 13 to May 15, is being seen as a critical moment in US-China relations amid intensifying geopolitical competition, supply chain realignments and growing tensions across the Indo-Pacific.

Senior White House officials said the administration was seeking “tangible outcomes” from the summit rather than symbolic optics, with discussions expected to focus on economic reciprocity, strategic stability and technological safeguards.

One of the key issues expected to dominate the talks is Beijing’s relationship with Tehran. US officials said Trump would raise concerns over China’s engagement with Iran, pointing in particular to recent American sanctions imposed on a Chinese intelligence-linked firm and satellite companies accused of supporting Tehran.

The summit comes amid heightened scrutiny of China’s role in the Middle East and Washington’s broader efforts to isolate Iran diplomatically and economically.

The US is also expected to push discussions on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, with officials expressing concern over the rapid advancement of frontier AI technologies and the risks posed by a lack of communication mechanisms between the two powers.

According to officials, Washington hopes to establish channels for “deconfliction” and crisis management in emerging technologies to prevent escalation or misunderstandings.

Nuclear arms control is also expected to feature in the talks despite what the administration described as Beijing’s long-standing reluctance to engage in formal arms control dialogue with the United States.

Officials acknowledged that previous efforts had yielded little progress but said the issue would again be raised directly during the summit.

On Taiwan, US officials reiterated that there had been no change in Washington’s policy position and indicated that the administration would continue to maintain the existing status quo framework.

The White House also said the visit would include efforts to secure agreements across sectors such as aerospace, agriculture and energy through ongoing bilateral trade and investment mechanisms.

Officials said the administration’s goal was to “rebalance” economic ties with China while protecting American workers, farmers and strategic industries.

Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening local time and depart Friday afternoon after bilateral meetings, ceremonial engagements and a working lunch with Xi.

The summit is being viewed as a potentially defining moment for the future direction of US-China ties, particularly on trade, technology governance and global security coordination.

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