Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, May 11: US President Donald Trump is set to travel to Beijing this week for a major diplomatic engagement with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with discussions expected to span trade relations, investment, artificial intelligence, Iran, Taiwan and broader security concerns, according to the White House.
Principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening, where he will be received with an official welcome ceremony before holding a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday morning.
The visit includes a tightly scheduled series of diplomatic and ceremonial events. On Thursday afternoon, both leaders are expected to tour the Temple of Heaven, followed by a state banquet in Trump’s honour later that evening. On Friday, the two leaders will meet again for a bilateral tea session and working lunch before the US president departs China.
Calling the trip “of tremendous symbolic significance,” Kelly said the president’s travel is not limited to ceremonial diplomacy but is aimed at advancing American economic and strategic interests.
She added that one of the central goals of the visit is to “rebalance trade with China” while prioritising American workers, farmers and families.
The discussions are expected to focus on the creation of two new institutional mechanisms — a US-China Board of Trade and a US-China Board of Investment. The proposed trade board would manage government-level coordination on non-sensitive goods, while the investment forum would address broader investment-related issues between the two countries.
Officials indicated that possible agreements in aerospace, agriculture and energy sectors may also be explored during the talks. A senior US administration official suggested that the proposed trade framework could involve commitments worth “double-digit billions” in commerce, including potential purchases of agricultural products and aircraft.
However, the official clarified that reports of large-scale Chinese investment commitments were inaccurate, stating that no such major investment proposal is currently on the table.
On the issue of Iran, US officials said Trump has previously raised concerns with Xi regarding China’s economic interactions with Iran and Russia, including the flow of revenue and dual-use technologies. The President is expected to reiterate those concerns during the upcoming meeting.
“We expect the President to continue applying pressure on this issue,” one official said.
Artificial intelligence is also likely to feature in the discussions, with US officials describing it as a rapidly evolving sector with significant security implications. Washington is reportedly exploring the possibility of establishing a structured communication channel with Beijing on AI-related risks and developments.
On Taiwan, US officials reaffirmed that there has been no change in American policy and no shift is anticipated. They also noted that the current administration has approved significantly higher levels of arms sales to Taiwan compared to the previous four-year period, while expressing dissatisfaction over delays in full defence funding allocations.
The visit comes at a time when US-China relations remain strained, shaped by ongoing disputes over trade, technology restrictions, cybersecurity concerns, and geopolitical tensions involving Taiwan and China’s ties with Russia and Iran.