President 
Trump arrives in Beijing this week for the first US presidential state visit to China in nearly a decade, with talks expected to span the Iran war, the year-old tariff truce, Taiwan and advanced-technology controls. The itinerary includes a banquet and a stop at the Temple of Heaven, the BBC reported, with security around Tiananmen Square heightened for days ahead of the visit. The tariffs at issue were paused in October 2025 after Trump's last meeting with 
Xi in South Korea.
What is on the agenda? Taiwan, tariffs and the Strait of Hormuz are the headline files, the Guardian reported, with Trump expected to press Xi to help broker an end to the Iran war given Beijing's reliance on Iranian oil. Trade negotiators are floating a US-China "Board of Trade" and a separate "Board of Investment" framework, Channel News Asia reported, though the two governments' expectations of the summit diverge sharply.
Why now? US-China relations have been a lower priority for Trump for months, with his focus on the Iran war and military operations in the Western Hemisphere, the BBC reported. Trump "desperately needs some good news on the foreign policy front" ahead of the November midterms, Beijing-based analyst Chu Yin told DW, after Trump's plan to bring Iran to its knees and celebrate the result in Beijing failed to come together.
Where does Taiwan sit? Trump told reporters Monday he would raise Taiwan's defense with Xi, the BBC reported, while saying he doubted a China-Taiwan conflict would ignite on his watch. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week the goal was preventing Taiwan from becoming a new source of tension, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he hoped Washington would make the "right choices."
Figures referenced: Donald Trump, Xi Jinping. — JudgeMarket.
