Beijing preps for Trump-Xi talks as tariffs, Taiwan and Hormuz loom
Beijing preps for Trump-Xi talks as tariffs, Taiwan and Hormuz loom
Trump heads to Beijing for a high-stakes meeting with Xi, focusing on the trade war, energy security through the Hormuz route, and tensions over Taiwan.
Beijing awaits as President Trump plans a May visit to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing for talks centered on the US-China relationship and the long-running trade dispute. The summit, long anticipated but postponed, is now scheduled for May 13-15, with tariffs and access to markets expected to top the agenda. The agenda comes as the two sides seek to prevent a return to the peak duties that once reached 145% before a truce last autumn.
Beyond trade, the leaders face a broader chokepoint: the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of China’s oil imports flow. Beijing worries that renewed tensions in the region or a protracted conflict with Iran could roil energy prices and threaten growth, even as it seeks to keep supply lines stable.
China’s position is cautious: it has built diversified energy sources and large stockpiles and says it can ride short-term disruptions, but a longer-term disruption would bite its export-driven economy, which still accounts for a substantial portion of GDP. Observers say Beijing would prefer to use the talks to urge restraint and push for de-escalation of the Iran conflict while keeping tariffs from rising again.
The question looming over the Beijing meeting is whether Washington and Beijing can agree on steps that ease tension without ceding ground on sensitive issues like Taiwan. The American push to safeguard allied interests and the Chinese insistence on sovereignty could complicate efforts, but a constructive dialogue could set the stage for a gradual pullback if both sides see a tangible benefit.
In Beijing, officials are likely to stress that the right outcome is a stable, predictable framework for trade and security that avoids a spillover into the broader economy. For observers, the summit carries significance beyond a bilateral handshake: it could signal whether the two powers can manage competition without tipping into greater confrontation.
