US President Donald Trump's seventh face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 13, the first since his visit to Beijing since 2017, is being closely watched as the summit comes at a time of deep uncertainties, both in terms of ties between the two nations and growing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East owing to the war in Iran.
Analysts, however, have been skeptical over major breakthroughs from the summit as the meeting is expected to focus on stabilising ties, ironing out trade misunderstandings, and putting a pause on disputes ranging from Taiwan to rare earth minerals.
Ahead of the visit, Trump had joked that he expects a "big, fat hug" from Xi Jinping, reviving memories of the warm optics that marked his first state visit to China in 2017.
Here are the five key issues expected to dominate talks between Trump and Xi
The ongoing Iran war is expected to be one of the biggest issues on the table during the Trump-Xi meeting. The White House has repeatedly pushed China — the world's largest buyer of Iranian oil — to use its leverage over Tehran to stabilise the region.
Trump has alternated between criticising Beijing for not doing enough and acknowledging China's role in nudging Iran back towards ceasefire talks last month. However, the White House has already lowered expectations ahead of the meeting. Reports suggest the US wants China to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large share of global oil and LNG shipments normally pass.
Trade tensions remain one of the biggest sticking points between the two countries. Trump and Xi last met face-to-face in last October during a regional summit in South Korea, where both sides agreed to a temporary truce in a tariff war that had seen duties on some goods rise above 100 percent.
Following Trump's 2024 campaign, the administration pushed for massive across-the-board tariffs on Chinese goods, currently hovering at a baseline of 60 per cent for many sectors. The Busan agreement, however, temporarily froze the hikes. For President Xi, the primary goal of this summit is to secure a rollback, as the high cost of exports continues to strain the Chinese economy.
The issue of Taiwan is also likely to dominate the meeting. Beijing considers Taiwan part of China and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification. The United States does not formally recognise Taiwan as an independent state but opposes any attempt to seize the island militarily and continues to supply Taipei with weapons.
Chinese officials are reportedly pressing Washington to move away from its long-standing policy of "strategic ambiguity” and explicitly oppose Taiwanese independence. Any signals from Trump regarding future US military or political support for Taiwan will be closely watched.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
