Trump lands in Beijing as two‑day summit with Xi kicks off
- Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on May 13 for two days of talks with Xi Jinping, with trade, Taiwan, rare earths, AI chips and Iran on the table. - China still keeps steep duties on some U.S. goods — including 25% on LNG, 20% on crude and up to 77% on beef — as dealmaking starts. - Expectations are low. Both sides look more focused on freezing escalation than fixing the core rivalry. (apnews.com)
Trade is the headline here, but this summit is really about managing a relationship both sides now treat as dangerous. Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, May 13, for a two-day meeting with Xi Jinping that pulls in tariffs, AI chips, Taiwan, rare earths, and even the Iran war. That mix tells you the real story — Washington and Beijing are not just arguing over what each sells the other anymore. They’re arguing over who gets leverage in the next global crunch. (apnews.com) ### What happened today? Trump landed in Beijing for his first China trip since 2017 and was greeted by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. The visit runs May 14 to 15 in Beijing, with both leaders entering talks after months of pressure, delay, and public signaling from both capitals. Trump also arrived with a business-heavy entourage that included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Elon Musk — a clue that commercial announcements matter almost as much as diplomacy here. (apnews.com) ### Why are tariffs still such a big deal? Because the trade war never really ended — it just got patched over. China still has major tariffs on key U.S. exports, including 25% on liquefied natural gas, 20% on crude oil, and much higher combined duties on some farm goods, with beef facing rates as high as 77%. That has choked off trade in sectors Trump wants to revive fast, especially energy and agriculture. (apnews.com) ### Why do energy and farm goods matter so much? They are the easiest things to turn into a headline deal. China can buy more U.S. LNG, crude, soybeans, or aircraft much faster than it can solve the deeper fights over industrial policy or military pressure. Reuters’ tariff factboxes point to $8.4 billion in U.S. oil and LNG exports to China in 2024 before Trump’s second-term trade fight disrupted that flow. So the likely play is simple — announce purchases, ease some pressure, and call it progress. (money.usnews.com) ### Why are AI chips in the room? Because chips are now trade policy, security policy, and industrial policy all at once. The summit agenda includes possible easing or bargaining around AI-chip sales, but that is where the easiest commercial logic runs into the hardest strategic logic. The U.S. wants sales for its companies. It also wants to slow China’s technological climb. Those goals can point in opposite directions fast. (energynow.com) ### What does Iran have to do with this? More than you’d think. The Iran war has driven a severe energy shock, and both countries have reasons to keep oil routes open and prices from spiraling further. CNBC noted that any U.S.-China cooperation tied to reopening the Strait of Hormuz could ease oil pressure globally. So even a summit framed around China trade is also about stabilizing a much wider geopolitical mess. (msn.com) ### Why are expectations so low? Because neither side looks ready to trade away its core tools. Trump wants market access, purchases, and maybe symbolic wins. Xi wants room to protect Chinese industry, control sensitive exports, and resist U.S. pressure on technology and Taiwan. That makes this less a settlement than a pause — more like putting a lid on a boiling pot than turning off the stove. (cnbc.com) ### What do Americans think about all this? The politics at home are mixed. An NPR/Chicago Council/Ipsos poll found Americans mostly see China as an economic rival, not mainly a military one, and 78% think China wants to become the dominant world leader. But majorities also think tariffs hurt U.S. living costs and want trade to continue rather than shrink sharply. That gives Trump pressure from both directions — look tough, but don’t make prices worse. (cnbc.com) ### Bottom line This summit matters less for a grand bargain than for whether Trump and Xi can stop the relationship from getting worse right now. If they leave Beijing with a trade truce extension, some purchase deals, or a narrow rare-earths and energy understanding, both sides can claim momentum. But the real conflict — over technology, security, and power — is still sitting there untouched. (money.usnews.com) (nprillinois.org)
