Donald Trump arrives in Beijing ahead of Xi Jinping summit – Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Personalise the news and
stay in the know
Emergency
Backstory
Newsletters
中文新闻
BERITA BAHASA INDONESIA
TOK PISIN
Find any issues using dark mode? Please let us know
Topic:World Politics
Wed 13 May 2026 at 10:32pm
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing. (Reuters: Evan Vucci)
US President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for his highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The United States and China are expected to agree to forums to facilitate mutual trade and investment, while China is expected to announce purchases related to Boeing aircraft, American agriculture and energy.
Major business deals or purchases are often announced during summit meetings between China and the US.
President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing. (Reuters: Evan Vucci)
The two countries will also discuss lengthening a truce in their trade war that allows rare earth minerals to flow from China to the US, though it is not yet clear if that agreement will be extended this week.
Several top US executives, including Elon Musk of Tesla and Apple's Tim Cook, are also joining Mr Trump in China.
Elon Musk, Eric Trump and his wife Lara, arriving in Beijing. (Reuters: Evan Vucci)
Ahead of the meeting, China and the US met in South Korea to discuss trade and economic issues as well as cooperation between the two powers.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng met for three hours; the meeting aimed at laying the groundwork for this week's Beijing summit.
Scott Bessent and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met for three hours. (Reuters: Supplied)
China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported the exchange was "candid, in-depth and constructive".
As US President Donald Trump prepares to meet his Chinese counterpart in Beijing, some analysts say the war in Iran has significantly shifted the power dynamics in China's favour.
The visit occurs at a delicate moment for Mr Trump's presidency as his popularity at home has been weighed down by the US and Israel's war with Iran, and rising inflation as a consequence of that conflict.
Speaking before departing from Washington, Mr Trump played down the role China could have in resolving the conflict, in which both sides have blocked maritime traffic through a waterway that normally carries one-fifth of the world's oil supplies.
"I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other, peacefully or otherwise," he told reporters.
The last meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Xi was in October in South Korea, where they agreed to pause a bruising trade war that had seen the US impose triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing threaten to restrict the global supply of rare earths.
AP/Reuters
Wed 13 May 2026 at 10:32pm
Thu 14 May 2026 at 8:36am
LIVE
Topic:Immigration
Analysis by Courtney Gould
Topic:Courts
Topic:Transport Accidents and Incidents
Topic:World Politics
Topic:World Politics
Topic:Explainer
China
United States
World Politics
LIVE
Topic:Immigration
Analysis by Courtney Gould
Topic:Courts
Topic:Transport Accidents and Incidents
Topic:Budget
Thu 14 May 2026 at 9:48pm
LIVE
Thu 14 May 2026 at 9:43pm
LIVE
Thu 14 May 2026 at 9:48pm
Topic:Animals
Thu 14 May 2026 at 7:47pm
Your home of Australian stories, conversations and events that shape our nation.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
Sign up to get the latest on your favourite topics from the ABC
