Donald Trump was due in Beijing on Wednesday for the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, as he seeks to ramp up trade despite potential friction over Taiwan and Iran. The trip, delayed by the US president’s war, marks a critical moment for the world’s two largest economies.
Leaving Washington on Tuesday, Trump said he expected a long talk with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about Iran, which relies on China as the top customer for its US-sanctioned oil. However, he played down disagreements, stating, “Xi has been relatively good, to be honest with you. I don’t think we need any help with Iran. We’ll win it one way or the other. We’ll win it peacefully or otherwise.”
This week’s trip—the first since Trump visited in 2017—will involve high-stakes talks with Xi on Thursday and Friday, during a packed itinerary that includes a state banquet and tea reception. The tense buildup to the superpower summit was already visible Tuesday on the streets of Beijing, with police monitoring major intersections and checking the ID cards of passengers on the metro, according to AFP journalists.
Trump said Monday that he would speak to Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by China—a departure from historic US insistence that it will not consult Beijing on its support to the island. The Taiwan issue remains a red line for China, which considers the island a breakaway province.
China’s controls on rare earth exports and the countries’ raucous trade relationship are among the topics expected to be taken up. Trade ties between Beijing and Washington have been fraught in recent years. The two sides are currently maintaining a one-year truce in their tariff war reached at Trump and Xi’s last meeting in South Korea in October.
“It’s definitely a big deal,” said Wen Wen, a 24-year-old woman travelling from the eastern city of Nanjing, when asked by AFP about Trump’s visit. “Some progress will certainly be made,” she added, noting that she hopes China and the United States can ensure lasting peace despite recent instability in the global situation.
Analysts say the summit could set the tone for bilateral relations in the coming years, with both leaders under pressure to deliver tangible outcomes. The superpower summit comes amid heightened tensions over technology, security, and human rights.
Source: AFP