Trump-Xi summit in Beijing: What's at stake
Key takeaways
- Trump acknowledged China’s might — saying that the Asian nation and the United States are clearly the world’s two superpowers — and that the focus of the meeting “more than anything else will be trade.”
- “We’re gonna have a great relationship for many, many decades to come,” Trump said. “My relationship with President Xi is a fantastic one.
- Trump also downplayed the importance of the meeting for the war in Iran.
President Trump speaks with reporters on May 12, 2026, as he departs the White House to travel to Beijing to meet with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press) By Michael Wilner and Kevin Rector May 12, 2026 3:10 PM PT 6 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
BEIJING — President Trump’s first visit to China in nine years is a high-stakes trip reflecting the rivalry and mutual dependence of two superpowers hoping to avoid a collision course — even if Trump cast it more as a meeting between close friends and business partners.
Speaking to reporters before departing Washington on Tuesday, Trump downplayed tensions between the two countries, including on trade, calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a “wonderful guy” and a friend and saying the working relationship between the two countries is “very good.”