Explainer

What to Expect From the Trump-Xi Summit in Beijing

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025.Photographer: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

President Donald Trump became the first US leader in almost a decade to visit China when he landed in Beijing on Wednesday. His much-anticipated two-day summit with President Xi Jinping — delayed from March due to the Iran war — offers the leaders of the world’s two largest economies a chance to reset personal ties and look for common ground on trade, technology and a range of other contentious topics.

Here are the issues that are likely to dominate the agenda.