Overview
- Trump’s visit, scheduled for May 14–15 in Beijing, is framed as a bid to steady ties strained by trade disputes, the Iran war, and tensions over Taiwan.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Taiwan will be on the agenda and warned against any destabilizing moves, while urging Beijing to press Iran and its visiting foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
- Taiwan’s intelligence chief Tsai Ming-yen said China may try manoeuvring on the Taiwan question during the talks, and people involved in preparations say Beijing has pushed the U.S. to tighten its phrasing on Taiwan independence.
- Trade discussions focus on possible Chinese purchases of U.S. farm goods and Boeing jets and on curbs involving semiconductors and rare earths, with officials and analysts expecting only limited, practical steps.
- China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said ties with the U.S. remain broadly stable and called for contributions to global peace, as Washington presses Beijing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and to keep the Taiwan Strait calm.