Five things to watch in Asia as Trump prepares to meet with China’s Xi this week
Chinese and US flags fly near The Bund, before a US trade delegation meets their Chinese counterparts for talks in Shanghai, China on July 30, 2019.
Aly’s Song | Reuters
BEIJING – The United States and China are consolidating their East Asian relationship ahead of a much-anticipated presidential summit in Beijing later this week.
Trade talks between the two countries are expected to meet in Seoul, South Korea, ahead of the meeting between US President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping, scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
The full tour shows the regional strength in US-China relations, and the summit is being watched by leaders around the world.
Here is the full agenda:
Tuesday: Available in Japan
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrived in Japan on Monday, where he will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Japan is one of the countries most affected by the Iran war as the Asian country relies on the Middle East for about 75% of its oil imports.
Bessent’s visit comes at a time when relations between Beijing and Tokyo have soured, following comments by Takaichi in November indicating that Tokyo would support Taiwan if threatened by Beijing’s military, drawing a sharp response from Beijing. He did not soften his statement, despite Beijing’s pleas.
During his visit to the US in March, Trump and Takaichi “committed to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” according to the White House.
Japan will watch closely for official word on Taiwan following the Trump-Xi meeting, with the US president on Monday saying an arms sale to Taipei was on the agenda for the summit.
Wednesday: US-China trade talks in South Korea
Vice Premier He Lifeng will lead a delegation to South Korea from Tuesday to Wednesday to negotiate with the US, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce. The study did not mention other meetings, but referred to the Trump-Xi summit in Busan, South Korea, in October last year.
Although it is not clear whether Bessent has accounted for the US time zone difference, his announcement noted that on Wednesday, he will “stop in Seoul to hold talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng of China.”
It’s a sign of the tight planning schedule – and therefore the deliverables – at this week’s conference in Beijing. China did not officially confirm the meeting until Monday.
“In our view, the summit will be more about avoiding an unnecessary escalation of tensions and managing risks than about building ways to build and build deeper friendships,” Nomura’s China Chief Economist, Ting Lu, wrote on Monday.
“The most pressing agenda is the Iran-Hormuz crisis,” he said.
Thursday: Trump in China
Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening, according to the White House.
The next morning, he will take part in a welcoming ceremony and hold a bilateral meeting with Xi, before they visit the historic Temple of Heaven – a 15th-century landmark in central Beijing. The evening is scheduled to close with a state banquet.
The White House has invited more than a dozen US officials to join Trump on his trip to China. Leaders unite Tesla CEO Elon Musk, an apple CEO Tim Cook and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg. However, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was not on the list.
China’s imports of Boeing aircraft, soybeans and beef will likely increase as a result of the Trump-Xi summit, but will likely not return to highs seen in recent history, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit China.
The amount of Chinese imports will likely be limited by US agreements on tech exports, which are also blocked by Washington’s influence, say EIU analysts.
Friday: Trump leaves Beijing
The US president is scheduled to have tea and a working lunch with Xi, before leaving China.
As discussed at last fall’s summit in Busan, Xi is expected to visit the US later this year, and the conclusion of this week’s meeting in Beijing will be closely watched for any indication of a specific date for the trip.
The Chinese leader is scheduled to visit the US for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2023, but has not made an official visit to the country since 2015, during the Obama administration. Trump visited China in 2017 during his first term, while his successor Joe Biden skipped to the Asian country.
Xi may visit the US in December for the G20 summit in Florida. Trump is expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Shenzhen in November, when the two leaders will meet again.
Next week: Putin’s possible visit
Adding to the high-level political talks are growing expectations that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will visit Beijing as soon as Monday, May 18.
Trump and Putin’s expected visit will bring together a dozen leaders who have arrived in Beijing in the first five months of 2026 as China expands.
Before Trump, Xi held a meeting with Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon. Last week, Iran’s foreign minister also went to Beijing for the first time since the Iran war.
Iran will definitely be discussed during the Trump-Xi summit, said Cui Shoujun, a professor at Renmin University of China’s School of International Studies.
China is one of the few countries that has relations with Iran and the Gulf states, he said, noting that Beijing would want to help resolve the dispute. Regarding the big question of US-China relations, Cui emphasized that the meeting between the two presidents this week is the beginning of many discussions.
