By Our Correspondent

National News – United States President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing on Thursday for a high-stakes summit focused on trade disputes, Iran tensions, Taiwan and global economic stability.

The meeting took place at the Great Hall of the People, where Xi welcomed Trump with a formal ceremony attended by senior officials and business leaders.

The summit, held on May 14, 2026, comes as relations between the world’s two biggest economies remain strained over tariffs, technology rivalry and geopolitical disagreements.

Trump arrived in China on Wednesday aboard Air Force One alongside top American business executives, including Tesla chief Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Apple boss Tim Cook.

During the ceremony, Trump and Xi reviewed a military guard of honour while schoolchildren waved Chinese and American flags.

The leaders are also expected to attend a state banquet and hold extended talks on key international concerns.

One of the major issues on the agenda is the ongoing Iran crisis.

Trump said he planned to have a “long talk” with Xi about Iran’s oil trade and security tensions in the Persian Gulf.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also urged China to play a stronger diplomatic role in calming the crisis.

Trade negotiations are another major focus of the summit.

Both countries are considering extending a temporary tariff truce reached during their previous meeting in South Korea last year.

The discussions are expected to cover agriculture, aircraft sales, rare earth exports and artificial intelligence competition.

Taiwan is also expected to feature prominently in the talks after Trump signalled he would discuss US arms sales to the self-governing island claimed by China.

Analysts say the outcome of the Beijing summit could shape future economic and diplomatic relations between Washington and Beijing.