Trump and Xi Jinping conclude two-day summit in Beijing: key takeaways from talks
фото: Reuters
US President Donald Trump left Beijing on May 15 after a two-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, centered on the Iran war. The meeting resulted in a series of modest trade deals and rhetorical alignments on nuclear issues and shipping.
This is reported byRadio Liberty .
The Iranian question
The summit, which was originally supposed to focus on trade disputes and tariffs, changed its agenda due to the situation around Iran and the threat of global energy disruptions.
“We discussed Iran. We have very similar views on how we want it to end. We don’t want them to have nuclear weapons. We want the Strait opened,” Trump told reporters on May 15, referring to the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies.
China’s Foreign Ministry said on May 15 that Beijing supports maintaining a fragile ceasefire around Iran and resuming sea lanes. Trump said Xi Jinping offered to help broker a deal with Tehran and promised not to supply the country with military equipment.
“I also don’t think China wants Iran to have nuclear weapons. [Xi] would like to see the end of it,” Trump said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that Washington did not turn to Beijing for help in resolving the conflict.
“He didn’t ask for anything. We don’t need their help,” Rubio said.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the US sees China as “very pragmatic” about its involvement in Iran and expressed confidence that Beijing will do everything possible to limit material support for Tehran.
Trade agreements
Trade issues remained an important component of the negotiations despite the dominance of the geopolitical agenda.
According to Greer, Washington expects Beijing to purchase US agricultural products worth double-digit billions of dollars annually over the next 3 years. Trump also said that Xi Jinping has agreed to order 200 Boeing aircraft.
In addition, Chinese customs authorities have renewed export licenses for hundreds of American beef producers that expired during last year’s tariff dispute. The two governments are also discussing the creation of a trade council to manage $30 billion in non-sensitive trade.
The American delegation included leaders of major companies, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Taiwan and unresolved disputes
Despite the warm rhetoric, key differences between the sides remained. During the talks, Xi Jinping warned Trump that Taiwan could become a source of “clash and even conflict” if mishandled, and Beijing continued to pressure Washington to limit arms sales to the island. Disputes over export controls, artificial intelligence, rare earths and military influence in Asia remained largely unresolved.
Analysts assessed the summit’s results with restraint. George Mason University associate professor Keitan Zhang noted that the meeting set a stabilizing tone, but further developments will depend on the domestic politics of both countries and the course of the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine.
“Trump gets moderate moves that he can push at home. Xi lays the groundwork for the stability Beijing needs while preserving the leverage he has built. Both sides are trying to maintain momentum without changing the basic terms of the rivalry,” said Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Earlier it was reported that on Thursday, May 14, US President Donald Trump held talks in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping . The key topics of the meeting were Taiwan, trade and global security.
As previously reported, on Wednesday, May 13, US President Donald Trump arrived in China for a two-day visit, during which talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping are scheduled. The US president was accompanied by the heads of major US companies, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook.
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