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Trump and Xi Conclude Beijing Summit with Agreements on Trade, Taiwan Warning, and Iran

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Trump-Xi Summit Concludes in Beijing with Trade Deals, Warnings, and Strategic Agreements

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a two-day state summit in Beijing on May 14-15, 2026. The meeting, Trump's first state visit to China since 2017, resulted in announcements of trade deals, a warning from Xi regarding Taiwan, and an agreement to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.

Summit Schedule

President Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday evening, May 13, and was greeted at Beijing Capital International Airport by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng, and Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu. A welcoming ceremony featuring approximately 300 Chinese youth waving miniature American and Chinese flags, a military honor guard, and a military band was held. Trump had no public events on Wednesday beyond his arrival.

On Thursday, May 14, Trump and Xi held a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People. The closed-door meeting lasted approximately two hours and 15 minutes. Following the meeting, both leaders visited the Temple of Heaven and attended a state banquet in the evening.

On Friday, May 15, additional talks and a working lunch were held at Zhongnanhai, Xi's official residence. Trump departed Beijing after the talks concluded.

Delegations

U.S. Delegation

The U.S. delegation included:

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio
  • Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
  • U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

Business Executives

A group of over a dozen U.S. corporate executives accompanied Trump, including:

  • Elon Musk (Tesla, SpaceX)
  • Tim Cook (Apple)
  • Jensen Huang (Nvidia)
  • Larry Fink (BlackRock)
  • David Solomon (Goldman Sachs)
  • Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone)
  • Kelly Ortberg (Boeing)
  • Jane Fraser (Citigroup)
  • Brian Sikes (Cargill)
  • H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. (GE Aerospace)
  • Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron)
  • Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm)
  • Ryan McInerney (Visa)
  • Michael Miebach (Mastercard)
  • Dina Powell McCormick (Meta)
  • Jim Anderson (Coherent)
  • Jacob Thaysen (Illumina)

Huang and Musk traveled on Air Force One with Trump. Trump invited Huang via a last-minute call on Tuesday after reports that Huang was not initially invited.

Chinese Delegation

Chinese representatives included top diplomat Wang Yi, economic planning agency head Zheng Shanjie, and Defense Minister Dong Jun.

Key Discussions

Taiwan

According to Chinese state media, Xi warned Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead to "clashes and even conflicts." Xi stated that Taiwan is "the most important issue in China-U.S. relations" and that "'Taiwan independence' and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water." Xi said both nations could "collide or even come into conflict," pushing relations into a "highly perilous situation."

Trump stated he discussed Taiwan arms sales with Xi and has not decided whether to proceed with a major arms package for Taiwan, including an $11 billion weapons package authorized in December. Trump said Xi reiterated China's opposition to Taiwan's independence. Trump declined to answer whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan in a conflict.

The White House did not mention Taiwan in its readout of the meeting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that U.S. policy on Taiwan had not changed and "has been pretty consistent across multiple presidential administrations." Rubio said the U.S. "doesn't want to see any forced or compelled change in the situation."

China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhang Han stated: "We firmly oppose the United States engaging in any form of military ties with China's Taiwan region."

Trade

Trump stated that "fantastic trade deals" were struck, including China's agreement to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said China committed to double-digit billions of agricultural purchases per year for three years. No joint confirmation was issued.

Reported U.S. priorities included:

  • Increased sales of Boeing aircraft
  • Increased sales of U.S. agricultural products (soybeans, beef, beans)
  • Establishment of a Board of Trade and Board of Investment
  • Greater market access for U.S. businesses

Reported Chinese priorities included:

  • Addressing Taiwan (opposing independence, reducing U.S. arms sales to Taipei)
  • Lowering tariffs
  • Reducing restrictions on semiconductor exports
  • Access to more advanced U.S. semiconductors

Trump stated he would ask Xi to "open up" China to allow U.S. executives to operate in the Chinese market.

A formal dialogue called 'China-US Constructive Strategic Stability' was established to guide bilateral relations for the next three years.

Iran and Strait of Hormuz

The White House stated that both leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Trump stated that Xi offered not to send military equipment to aid Iran and to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open.

Trump said: "We did discuss Iran. We feel very similar about how we want it to end. We don't want them to have a nuclear weapon. We want the strait open." He also said he would not be "much more patient" with Iran and that "they should make a deal."

Trump stated before departure: "I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other, peacefully or otherwise."

China's state media summary mentioned the Middle East was discussed but did not specifically reference Iran's nuclear program or the Strait of Hormuz.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement criticizing the U.S. decision to attack Iran, calling the conflict "should never have happened."

Nuclear Arms Control

Trump reported that Xi was receptive to a three-way nuclear deal involving the U.S., Russia, and China, stating: "I got a very positive response." The New START treaty between the U.S. and Russia expired in February 2026.

Artificial Intelligence

Trump stated that China had not approved purchases of Nvidia's H200 chips because it wants to develop its own. Trump raised the issue of Visa's access to China's payments market, saying he pressured Xi to open it.

Statements

Xi Jinping

  • "The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict."
  • "A stable China-US relationship is a boon for the world. Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both. We should be partners and not rivals."
  • "Can China and the United States transcend the so-called 'Thucydides Trap' and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations?"
  • "Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can totally go hand in hand."
  • Characterized the visit as a "milestone" that established a "constructive, strategic, stable relationship."
  • "China-U.S. economic ties are mutually beneficial and win-win in nature."

Donald Trump

  • "The relationship is going to be better than ever before."
  • "You're a great leader."
  • "We've made some fantastic trade deals for both countries."
  • "We've settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn't have been able to solve."
  • "I don't talk about that" (regarding whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan).

State Banquet

Xi hosted Trump at a state dinner in Beijing's Great Hall of the People. The menu included Beijing roast duck, pork buns, beef ribs, and American-style desserts. The People's Liberation Army band performed "YMCA" by the Village People.

Follow-up Visits

Trump stated that Xi is expected to visit the U.S. in September. At the state dinner, Trump invited Xi and his wife for a reciprocal visit at the White House on September 24. The two leaders may meet up to four times in 2026, including a potential Xi visit to the White House, Trump attending the APEC meeting in Shenzhen, and Xi possibly attending the G20 summit at Trump's resort in Florida.

Background: 2017 Incident

During Trump's 2017 state visit to Beijing, a physical altercation occurred between U.S. and Chinese security personnel. The scuffle reportedly resulted from Chinese officials attempting to block a U.S. military aide carrying the nuclear football from entering a room where Trump and Xi were meeting. The incident was broken up by two diplomats, one of whom was Qin Gang, then head of protocol at China's foreign ministry.

Expert Analysis

  • Kurt Campbell, former U.S. deputy secretary of state: Noted Trump's enthusiasm to engage with Russia, North Korea, and China, and stated Beijing likely seeks stability and predictability.
  • Scott Kennedy, CSIS: Assessed that China enters the meeting in a stronger position, with goals including extended ceasefire, reduced tech restrictions, and lower tariffs.
  • Michael Kovrig, International Crisis Group: Described the U.S.-China relationship as a stalemate, with both sides attempting to reduce dependency on each other in critical minerals and advanced technologies, yet having incentives to avoid escalation.
  • Richard Haass, longtime U.S. diplomat: Each country's readout reflects different priorities; for China, Taiwan; for the U.S., trade imbalance. Predicted no major negotiations or compromises during the summit but described the calm demeanor and positive words as a "good sign."
  • Chad Bown, Peterson Institute for International Economics: "Trade relations really, really deteriorated... There doesn't seem to be any floor to how bad the relationship is."
  • Eswar Prasad, Cornell University: The outcome could affect global trade and the rules-based order, and a contentious summit could prolong economic volatility.
  • Graham Allison, Harvard University: Expressed expectation that the trade truce reached at their meeting in South Korea last fall would become a formal agreement.