Trump meets Xi Jinping in Beijing for talks on Iran war and trade relations

US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing Wednesday for a highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking the first visit by an American president to China since 2017. The meeting comes at a particularly delicate moment as both nations grapple with complex geopolitical challenges that could reshape global relations.

The summit is overshadowed by the ongoing war between the US and Israel against Iran, which has lasted more than two months. This conflict has resulted in the blockade of the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that normally carries one-fifth of the world's oil supply. The blockade has led to rising energy prices and inflation, weighing heavily on Trump's domestic popularity.

Before departing Washington, Trump downplayed expectations for Chinese assistance in resolving the Iran conflict, stating he does not expect to need Beijing's help to end the war. Nevertheless, the conflict is expected to dominate the two-day talks. Trump has previously pressed Xi Jinping unsuccessfully to use China's considerable leverage with Iran to persuade Tehran to accept American terms for ending the war or at least to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Beyond the Iran crisis, the agenda includes trade relations, Taiwan, and artificial intelligence. The two countries remain locked in a fragile tariff truce reached last autumn after tensions threatened to escalate into a full-scale trade war. Trump has long complained about China's trade practices and has promised to ask Xi to 'open up' China to American firms.

A particularly sensitive issue will be US arms sales to Taiwan. China views the democratically governed island as its own territory and has outlined four 'red lines' in US relations ahead of the summit, with Taiwan playing a central role. Analysts expect Xi Jinping to seek concessions on weapons deliveries to Taipei.

Trump is traveling with a high-profile delegation of technology executives, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Apple CEO Tim Cook. Musk and Huang boarded Air Force One during a stopover in Alaska. This composition of the delegation underscores Trump's focus on business opportunities and the importance of the technology sector to US-China relations.

The visit was originally scheduled for April but was postponed due to the Iran war. The delay illustrates how significantly the Middle East conflict has influenced American foreign policy and overshadowed other important bilateral relationships.

For Trump, the visit comes at a challenging moment in his presidency. Beyond the foreign policy challenges posed by the Iran war, he faces declining approval ratings due to the economic impacts of the conflict, particularly rising inflation. The summit offers him an opportunity to project strength on the world stage but also carries risks if concrete results are not achieved.

The talks occur against a backdrop of growing global uncertainty as the world grapples with the effects of war, trade tensions, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence. Both countries face pressure to find constructive solutions to these challenges while maintaining their respective national interests.

In Beijing, security has been tightened ahead of Trump's arrival, with some residents expressing skepticism about the visit's potential outcomes. The Chinese capital is preparing for what many observers see as a crucial test of whether the world's two largest economies can manage their differences constructively.

The summit's outcomes could have far-reaching implications for global stability, economic relations, and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. As both leaders prepare for their meetings, the international community watches closely for signs of progress on the multiple fronts where US and Chinese interests intersect and sometimes clash.