President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for his highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, at a time of global uncertainty over war, trade, and artificial intelligence. "We're the two superpowers," Trump told reporters before departing the White House. "We're the strongest nation on Earth in terms of military. China's considered second."
A Delicate Moment for Trump
While Trump projects strength, the visit comes at a delicate moment. His popularity at home has been weighed down by the U.S.-Israel war with Iran and rising inflation. The president seeks a win by signing deals for China to buy more American food and aircraft, saying trade will be the primary topic with Xi.
Establishing a Board of Trade
The Trump administration hopes to establish a "Board of Trade" with China to address differences and prevent a trade war. Last year, Trump's tariff hikes led to Chinese countermeasures on rare earth minerals, resulting in a one-year truce in October.
Iran and Domestic Agenda
Iran continues to dominate Trump's domestic agenda. The war has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, spiking energy prices and threatening global economic growth. Trump declared Xi need not help resolve the conflict, stating, "We have Iran very much under control."
Taiwan and Trade on the Agenda
The status of Taiwan is a major topic. China is displeased with U.S. plans to sell weapons to the self-governing island. Trump said he would discuss an $11 billion weapons package authorized in December. Taiwan, as the world's leading chipmaker, is essential for AI development, and the U.S. imports more goods from Taiwan than from China.
China's People's Daily published an editorial underscoring that Taiwan is "the first red line that cannot be crossed" in U.S.-China relations.
Trump on Solid Footing with Xi
Trump portrayed the trip as a success before leaving, musing about Xi's planned reciprocal visit to the U.S. "We're going to have a great relationship for many decades to come," Trump said. He boarded Air Force One with aides, family, and business leaders including Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Tesla's Elon Musk.
Trump posted on social media that his "first request" to Xi would be to open China further to U.S. firms. Despite his confidence, China appears to enter from a stronger position, according to Scott Kennedy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Even if they don't get much, as long as there's no blow-up, China comes out stronger," Kennedy said.
Nuclear Arms Deal Proposal
Trump also intends to propose a three-way nuclear arms pact with China and Russia, according to a senior administration official. China has been cool to such a pact; its arsenal exceeds 600 warheads, far from the U.S. and Russia's 5,000 each. The New START treaty expired in February, removing caps for the first time in over 50 years.
