WASHINGTON — President Trump’s relationship, which he describes as a “great relationship” with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, will be tested from next Tuesday as the American president will visit Beijing for the first time in nine years.
In two days of meetings, Trump is expected to raise a series of concerns about artificial intelligence, the global economy, trade and nuclear weapons. He will also be joined by a Who’s who of CEOs to help him make his case for Chinese investment in America.
Xi, in turn, wants to see America reduce its support for Taiwan – an island that China claims as its territory – and prevent Trump from hitting Beijing with another series of damaging tariffs.
Trump’s visit was planned for early April, but was postponed due to the war with Iran. Like last month’s state visit by King Charles III, the president is expected to keep Middle East tensions burning to give pomp and state his full attention.
Asked when he hoped to leave the summit, Trump replied: “A lot.”
“I have a good relationship with President Xi. We do a lot of business, but smart business,” he told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.
Here’s a look at the big issues that will be discussed:
Artificial intelligence
This week will mark the first time Trump and Xi have spoken face-to-face amid questions about rules that will govern the “technology race” between Washington and Beijing.
The Trump administration said the two sides should maintain an open “channel of communication,” but the top US official was quick to play down any hope of success.
“We want to take this opportunity with the leaders’ meeting to open a discussion and see if we should establish a channel of communication on AI issues,” the person said, adding that both sides need to find “channels to defuse the conflict” amid concerns about the role played by advanced AI models in areas such as cyber espionage.
Trade
Beijing is expected to announce purchases of American aircraft, agricultural products and energy during the two-day visit, which would be a major achievement for Trump.
A senior U.S. official declined to reveal specifics about the expected purchase but said the talks had been going on for “a long time.”
“They know it’s something they need. They know it’s something we want to sell,” the official told reporters on Sunday. “Those are the main areas where we are looking at potential acquisition deals.”
Farmers, a key group of the president’s supporters, want to see China import more soybeans. Meanwhile, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg is accompanying the American delegation as his company seeks to sell its expensive planes to the Chinese government.
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent will also attend the conference in the hope that it will be consistent with the agreements.
“Trade will be at the forefront of the conference,” Patricia Kim, a China expert at the Brookings Institution, told reporters at the briefing. “And it’s an issue that President Trump has invested heavily in personally. I think Beijing’s priorities run the same way. Extend the trade agreement, preserve access to American technology, and roll back – or at least prevent further tightening – of US export controls.”
Trump imposed 20% tariffs on China at the start of his second term and in April 2025, added tariffs of 34%, making US tariffs on China the highest of any country. Beijing has retaliated by slashing agricultural imports — hurting American farmers — and cutting off access to rare earth minerals, a topic Trump hopes to bring up again during the summit.
The meeting between Trump and Xi in October 2025 resulted in the US reducing tariffs to 10% on certain goods. The Supreme Court’s decision in February to reduce some emergency tariffs was another boost for Beijing, although large duties remain on certain goods – including 100% on electric vehicles and 50% on certain steel and aluminum products.
“Through this trip, President Trump will continue to do what he has done over the past year: Rebalancing relations with China and prioritizing reconciliation and fairness to restore America’s economic freedom,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly.
Taiwan
The small island is a priority for Xi, who hopes to use this Trump-style opportunity to change US policy on Taiwan.
“Beijing was very clear that Taiwan must be part of the dialogue,” Kim said. “It confirms that Xi Jinping will use this summit to pressure President Trump on Taiwan.”
Under the US “One China” policy, Washington acknowledges Beijing’s claim to Taiwan, but does not explicitly recognize it, and refrains from advocating direct Taiwan independence.
Meanwhile, the US is one of the biggest arms sellers in Taiwan. In December, Trump announced the largest arms package for the island, worth more than $11 billion.
Trump said he would talk about arms sales and other issues affecting the island when he meets with Xi.
“I will have that conversation with President Xi,” he said on Monday. “President Xi would like us not to, and I will have that conversation. It’s one of the many things I’ll be talking about.”
While US officials are careful that no policy changes are forthcoming, Taiwan is watching closely.
“We hope that the Trump-Xi summit will not reveal any surprises regarding Taiwan affairs,” Taipei Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Thursday.
Nuclear Weapons
China has been reluctant to talk about its rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal.
Estimates had Xi’s government having between 600 and 620 active warheads as of early 2026, making China the third largest nuclear force in the world. Analysts say the stockpile could grow to more than 1,000 warheads by 2030 and reach 1,500 by 2035.
Trump said he wanted to discuss the nuclear issue at his meeting with Xi, but the top US official brushed it off, saying of the Chinese: “They are not interested in sitting down and discussing any kind of nuclear arms control or anything along those lines at this point.”
The Plight of Prisoners
Trump has pledged to talk to Xi about human rights issues, including the cases of the Reverend Ezra Jin, an American minister and family members imprisoned during the Chinese invasion, and Jimmy Lai, a prominent Beijing critic who founded a pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong.
In December, Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison. At the time, Trump expressed sympathy, saying he felt “bad” for Lai.
The president vowed to present the matter to Xi.
“I’d like to see him out,” Trump said Monday. “So I will raise him again.”
