Donald Trump’s arrival in Beijing will mark a critical moment for the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship.
The visit is the first from an American president since Trump’s last trip in 2017 – and is playing out against a backdrop of what’s been years of intensifying rivalry between the world’s largest economies – and more recently, the US war with Iran, a close partner of China’s.
Trump’s two days of talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which start on Thursday morning local time, are a rare opportunity for the men to discuss, face-to-face, frictions ranging from technology and trade to Taiwan – all issues with the potential to cause global knock-on effects if not managed well.
Iran shadow: The meetings could also play a role in how the US-Iran conflict might end.
Beijing, as a close partner of Tehran, is emerging as a potential peace broker, despite Trump’s insistence he doesn’t need China to end the war.
Trade: Outcomes of the wider China-US talks could include headline deals in areas like agriculture or aviation and headway in stabilizing trade relations or opening doors for further investment and market access between the two countries.
Relationships: But another key element is something less tangible: the rapport between the two men, who are set to spend hours together across formal meetings, a state banquet, a visit to the imperial-era Temple of Heaven, and tea at Zhongnanhai, the compound housing China’s leadership.
Trump has had an outsize role in reshaping America’s relationship with China during his time as leader – starting with a trade war in his first term that upended global supply chains and supercharged a US-China rivalry.
Now, the tone he and Xi set in two days of meetings could dictate the course of the relationship between the world’s two largest economies for years to come.
