President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on the night of May 13, beginning a three-day state visit that has drawn attention to the agenda the two leaders will discuss. According to the Associated Press on May 12, Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid global tensions surrounding war, trade, and artificial intelligence, with the Iran conflict and inflation in the U.S. highlighted as key issues.
As he departed for China, Trump expressed confidence about the upcoming talks. Speaking to reporters at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland before boarding Air Force One, he stated, "We are two superpowers; militarily, we are the strongest on Earth, and China is considered second."
The AP noted that Trump's visit comes at a "delicate moment" domestically, as rising prices due to the Iran conflict have led to a decline in his approval ratings. Analysts suggest that Trump hopes China will increase its purchases of American agricultural products and aircraft. To facilitate this, the U.S. administration is looking to initiate the establishment of a Board of Trade to address trade issues between the two countries.
The New York Times speculated that Xi may request Trump to delay or reduce arms sales to Taiwan during their meeting. The U.S. government approved $11 billion in arms sales to Taiwan last year, prompting China to conduct military exercises around Taiwan in response. Additionally, a separate arms export review worth $14 billion is pending, awaiting Trump's final approval. Xin Chang, a Taiwan expert at Fudan University in China, commented, "China will seek to at least delay U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and potentially reduce the quality or quantity of those sales."
Another point of interest is the last-minute inclusion of Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, who was initially not on the guest list. According to the New York Times, Trump personally called Huang on the morning of his departure to invite him. Huang then flew to Alaska to board Air Force One. The report indicated that Huang has been lobbying both the U.S. and Chinese governments for a year to allow the export of his company's AI-specific chips to China. Alongside Huang, over ten business leaders, including Elon Musk of Tesla and Tim Cook of Apple, are accompanying Trump on this trip.
Some speculate that Trump may ask Xi to play a mediating role regarding the Iran conflict. However, Trump told reporters on May 12, "There is a lot to discuss with China, but frankly, Iran is not one of them, as we are managing Iran well."
The Wall Street Journal remarked that this summit marks the first visit by a U.S. president to China since Trump last traveled there nearly nine years ago, noting that sensitive issues such as trade, Iran, and Taiwan will be addressed. The newspaper also reported that both sides are looking for tangible victories.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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