Unpacking President Trump’s Visit to China | State of Play

State of Play, a podcast and commentary series produced by the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department, features timely analysis from CSIS’s leading regional experts on geopolitical developments and the future of the international order.

What’s the Latest?

President Donald Trump completed a state visit to China, the first trip by a president since 2017.

Both sides hoped to at least stabilize the U.S.-China relationship, particularly on economic issues. President Xi Jinping proposed “building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability” (中美建设性战略稳定关系). President Trump highlighted the positive and signaled support for better economic ties.

On economics, the U.S. readout highlighted discussions on expanding U.S. access to China’s market, attracting Chinese investment into the United States, and combating illicit fentanyl. China also restored U.S. beef trade and agreed to buy over $10 billion worth of agricultural products, 200 Boeing planes, and over 400 GE aerospace engines. China may also buy more U.S. energy and medical devices

Iran was also a top U.S. priority. The White House readout cast President Xi as supporting the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and opposing nuclear weapons for Iran. Both of these views are consistent with past public statements from China. President Trump shared that Xi offered to help broker peace and pledged not to provide weapons to Iran, as well as expressed opposition to a tolling regime in the Strait of Hormuz. China’s readouts, however, de-emphasized Iran, first mentioning that the two sides discussed the “Middle East situation” alongside Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula. Later, China added that the Iran war “should never have happened.”

Conversely, the initial U.S. readout did not mention Taiwan, which was a top Chinese priority. Xi asserted that Taiwan is “the most important issue” and warned that mishandling it would result in “clashes and even conflicts.” President Trump later said that there was further discussion on May 15 and that President Xi emphasized he “does not want to see a fight for independence.” Trump added, “The last thing we want is a war that’s 9,500 miles away.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately emphasized that U.S. policy on Taiwan remains unchanged.

Why Does It Matter?

This meeting comes at a crucial time for President Trump to deliver economic and political wins, given the ongoing conflict with Iran. China is Iran’s largest trade partner and has significant leverage over Tehran. China can do more to pressure Iran, and even the appearance of Chinese support could help the Trump administration find an exit from the conflict.

President Xi’s emphasis on a new constructive strategic stability framework—and his warnings about Taiwan, which were largely consistent with past statements from the Chinese government—appear aimed at extending the trade war truce between the two sides and buying more time and strategic space for China. Faced with economic challenges at home, Beijing is looking to forestall new U.S. tariffs and export controls while encouraging U.S. pressure to “manage” Taiwan’s behavior.

What’s Next?

This summit is likely the first of four 2026 meetings between Presidents Trump and Xi. During the May 14 state dinner, President Trump invited President Xi to visit the White House on September 24, 2026, a date that coincides with the UN General Assembly. The two leaders will also likely engage on the sidelines of upcoming multilateral settings, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders Meeting in Shenzhen, China, in November 2026 and the G20 Leaders’ Summit in December 2026 in Miami.

One thing to watch is how Washington and Beijing engage foreign partners in the weeks ahead, including whether the summit changes any patterns of behavior. Washington will be watching if and how Beijing might pressure Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump has not yet decided whether the United States will lift sanctions on Chinese companies buying Iranian oil. China hopes the United States will postpone or reduce U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and not provide as much support to Taipei. The Trump administration may need to reassure anxious U.S. allies and partners, and President Trump has already called Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after leaving China. Beijing will undoubtedly discuss the summit with its allies as well. While President Trump was in China on Thursday, the Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be visiting China next week.

What’s Under the Radar?

In the summit lead-up, economic issues attracted the greatest attention, but Iran is clearly top of mind for Trump. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth joined this trip, marking the first time a defense secretary has accompanied a president to China. On the Chinese side, Defense Minister Dong Jun was present at the bilateral meetings, and he was seen talking with Secretary Hegseth during the state banquet. However, there does not appear to have been a separate meeting, probably because the United States has long tried to avoid suggesting that the PRC defense minister is an appropriate counterpart. Interestingly, the Chinese readout from Thursday’s bilateral meeting also stated that the two sides should “make better use of communication channels,” including military-to-military communications.

Edgard Kagan is senior adviser and Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Bonny Lin is director of the China Power Project and senior adviser at CSIS.