President Donald Trump on Friday warned Taiwan against declaring formal independence after a visit to China, whose leader Xi Jinping had pressed him against US support to the self-ruling island.

Trump ended a state visit claiming to have made "fantastic" trade deals, although the details were vague and he did not appear to secure any breakthrough with China over his stalemated war on Iran.

Trump invited President Xi Jinping to pay a reciprocal visit to Washington in September, signalling both sides will likely seek stability in the often turbulent relationship between the world's two largest economies.

On a key issue for Xi, Trump made clear he opposed a declaration of independence by Taiwan and appeared to question why the United States would defend the island in case of attack.

(AFP)

US President Donald Trump said Friday he discussed the flashpoint issue of Taiwan with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, but made no commitments.

"President Xi and I talked a lot about Taiwan," Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One, on his way back to Washington following a high-stakes summit in Beijing.

"He does not want to see a fight for independence," he added. "I didn't make a comment on it, I heard him out."

Trump added: "On Taiwan he feels very strongly, I made no commitment either way."

(AFP)

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he discussed lifting sanctions on Chinese companies that buy Iranian oil during his visit to Beijing and will make a decision soon.

The U.S. recently imposed sanctions on several Chinese oil refiners for buying Iranian oil, including Hengli Petrochemical, one of the country's largest private refiners and a symbol of Beijing's drive to modernize and upgrade the industry.

"We talked about that and I'm going to make a decision over the next few days," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One shortly after leaving Beijing following his two-day summit with President Xi Jinping.

(Reuters)

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Friday she and U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed an "ironclad" bilateral alliance in a phone call, which Trump joined from aboard Air Force One hours after ending his two-day visit to China.

"We exchanged views on issues surrounding China, including the economy and security...and reaffirmed close communication on Indo-Pacific issues," Takaichi told reporters after the call.

Issues related to Iran were also discussed and Takaichi said she shared Japan's stance on those with Trump. She did not answer a reporter's question on whether they discussed Taiwan.

Trump "briefed me in detail (on his China visit) on the condition that our conversation remain confidential," Takaichi said.

(Reuters)

US President Donald Trump said Friday he brought up the fate of imprisoned Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai during the high-stakes summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Asked about the release of political prisoners while on board Air Force One, Trump said: "He said, he told me, Jimmy Lai is a tough one for him to do."

At the same time, Trump added, Xi promised "He's going to strongly consider the pastor," referring to Jin Mingri, the founder of a prominent Chinese underground church detained last year in a sweeping national crackdown.

(AFP)

US President Donald Trump said Friday he didn't bring up the issue of tariffs during a landmark summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Returning to Washington after making what he called "fantastic trade deals" with Beijing, Trump said on tariffs: "We didn't discuss those... It wasn't brought up."

The pair had been expected to discuss extending the one-year tariff truce reached during their last meeting in October.

(AFP)

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping wrapped up critical talks on Friday, claiming important progress in stabilizing U.S.-China relations even as deep differences persist between the world’s two biggest powers on Iran, Taiwan and more.

Xi welcomed Trump at his official residence, Zhongnanhai, on Friday for the final talks of the summit before the US leader’s return to Washington. The leaders took a short walk through the grounds that feature ancient trees and Chinese roses, and strolled through a covered passageway with green columns and archways painted with birds and traditional Chinese mountain scenes.

Over tea and lunch, Trump and Xi — with top aides and translators in tow — huddled for nearly three hours of talks before the US leader completed his three-day visit to China.

“It’s been really a great couple of days,” Trump told reporters as he sat with Xi before the start of their meeting with aides.

Xi, for his part, called it a “milestone” visit. “We have established a new bilateral relationship, or rather a constructive, strategic, stable relationship,” he said.

But the optimistic outlook collides with some difficult truths about the thorniest issues between the two superpowers.

President Donald Trump said he had made "fantastic trade deals" with China's Xi Jinping, as the pair met on Friday at final talks of a superpower summit that according to the US leader has also reaped a Chinese offer to help open the Strait of Hormuz. Trump had arrived in Beijing seeking to seal deals in sectors including agriculture, aviation and artificial intelligence, as well as to contain differences between the two sides in a number of tense geostrategic areas -- not least the Middle East war.

Trump's overtures to Xi, whom he described as a "great leader" and "friend", have so far been met with more muted tones by the Chinese leader. But the US leader said "a lot of good" has come out of the visit. 

"We've made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries," he said after a walk with Xi among the rosebushes in the gardens of Zhongnanhai, a central leadership compound next to Beijing's Forbidden City.

"We've settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn't have been able to solve," he added, without providing details.

Xi said it was a "milestone visit", and that the two sides had to date established "a new bilateral relationship, which is a relationship of constructive strategic stability".

Donald Trump told reporters that he and Xi had discussed Iran, and both nations feel 'very similar'. He said both Washington and Tehran "don't want them to have nuclear weapons".

🇺🇸🇨🇳 Donald Trump, speaking alongside Xi Jinping in Zhongnanhai, said the visit was “incredible” and that both sides had reached “fantastic trade deals.”
Trump added that the United States and China discussed Iran, stressing that both oppose nuclear weapons and want the Strait… pic.twitter.com/QqvAHHJ5c1

— NOVEXA (@Novexa24) May 15, 2026

US President Donald Trump said his patience with Iran was running out after he discussed the costly and unpopular war with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday and a ship was reported seized by Iranian personnel off the United Arab Emirates.

The White House said Trump and Xi had agreed during talks in Beijing on the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane open. Iran effectively shut the waterway in response to US-Israeli attacks which began on February 28, causing an unprecedented disruption to global energy supplies. China is close to Iran and the main buyer of its oil.

The U.S. paused its attacks on Iran last month but began a blockade of the country's ports. Talks aimed at ending the conflict have stalled, with Iran refusing to end its nuclear programme or relinquish its stockpile of enriched uranium.

"I am not going to be much more patient," Trump said in an interview aired on Thursday night on Fox News' "Hannity" programme. "They should make a deal." 

On the key issue of Iran's hidden stockpile of enriched uranium, Trump suggested it only needed to be secured by the US for public relations purposes. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump said that China voiced interest in buying US oil and soybeans, after he met counterpart Xi Jinping during a state visit to Beijing.

"They've agreed they want to buy oil from the United States," Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview broadcast late Thursday in the United States.

China, the key foreign customer of Iranian oil, bought small amounts of US oil before Trump imposed tariffs last year and has sharply slowed down purchases of US soybeans, turning instead to Brazil.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Trump and Xi reached a “series of new consensuses” in talks, including on Iran, and agreed to boost communication and coordination on regional and global issues, Reuters reports.⁠

They did not elaborate on specifics, but said the two presidents have "reached important consensus on properly handling each other's concerns" and agreed to boost coordination on global and regional issues.

In a long post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Xi was "100 per cent correct" in his assessment that the United States was on a decline as the "country suffered immeasurably" due to the Biden administration's policies.

Taiwan thanked the US on Friday for expressing its support and commitment to peace and stability and for reaffirming its Taiwan policy has not changed, ahead of the second day of President Donald Trump's state visit to China. The US is Chinese-claimed Taiwan's most important international backer and is bound by law to provide it with the means to defend itself. China has demanded such arms sales stop.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday confirmed the issue of democratically governed Taiwan had come up in Trump's talks with President Xi Jinping but that US policy towards the island is unchanged.

In a statement released by his ministry, Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung thanked the U.S. for repeatedly expressing its support for and emphasis on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and for reaffirming that its Taiwan policy has not changed.

The ministry added that China's military continues to operate around Taiwan carrying out "harassment and intimidation". This "demonstrates that Beijing is a major risk to current regional peace and stability," it said.

Trump said Xi was not referring to the United States under his watch, which he claimed was experiencing an "incredible rise," but rather the country under his predecessor Joe Biden.

US media reports had described a possible China order of around 500 single-aisle Boeing 737 MAX planes, in addition to 100 larger models, such as the 787 Dreamliner and 777.

As President Donald Trump wraps up his whirlwind visit to China on Friday, he's insistent that relations between the world's two biggest powers are good and getting better despite deep differences on Iran, Taiwan and more. Trump started his last day in Beijing by insisting in a social media post that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had “congratulated me on so many tremendous successes” and had been referring only to his predecessor, former U.S. President Joe Biden, when he “very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation.”

But Trump's rosy outlook on the U.S.-China relationship collides with some difficult truths about the thorniest issues between the two superpowers. Beijing has shown little public interest in U.S. entreaties to get more involved in solving the conflict in Iran, even though Trump said in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that Xi had in their conversations offered to help. And the White House believes China can still do more to stem the flow of Chinese-made precursor chemicals into Mexico used to make illicit fentanyl that has wreaked havoc on many U.S. communities.

Xi, meanwhile, warned Trump during private talks that their differences on the self-ruled island of Taiwan, if handled poorly, could hurtle the world's dominant powers toward “clashes and even conflicts,” according to Chinese government officials.

Trump and Xi are set to have more time together at Xi's official residence in Beijing on Friday before the U.S. leader makes the long journey back to Washington. (AP)

President Trump posts on TruthSocial: When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that… pic.twitter.com/Op1uUSmhbL

— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) May 14, 2026

"President Xi Jinping's remarks were designed to draw clear boundaries for the United States while offering reassurance to American businesses. Politically, the message was unequivocal: everything begins with Taiwan. Xi expressed zero tolerance for any moves toward Taiwan independence, and he placed this "red line" at the very start of his meeting with Trump. There was no ambiguity, no softening - just a direct restatement of China's core position", said George Chen, Partner, The Asia Group.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that China had agreed to purchase 200 Boeing jets, describing an order for "200 big ones" in a broadcast interview.

"It was sort of like a statement but I think it was a commitment," Trump said, describing his conversation with President Xi Jinping in a Fox News interview. Boeing shares fell about four percent, suggesting investors had expected a bigger order.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S. policy toward Taiwan is "unchanged" after President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping but warned it would be "a terrible mistake" for China to take Taiwan by force.

Rubio made the remarks in an interview with NBC News while traveling with the president on his trip to China.

He sidestepped Xi's warning that differences over the self-governing island could lead to a clash, and said that China always raises the issue of Taiwan in talks.

"U.S. policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged as of today and as of the meeting that we had here today. It was raised. They always raise it on their side. We always make clear our position, and we move on to the other topics," Rubio said.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said President Xi Jinping had offered China's help to open the Strait of Hormuz and pledged not to send military equipment to aid Iran in its war against the US and Israel.

"He said he's not going to give military equipment… he said that strongly," Trump told the "Hannity" show on Fox News, after the two leaders met in Beijing.

"He'd like to see the Hormuz Strait open, and said 'if I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help,'" Trump added.

Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump started a crucial series of meetings in Beijing on Thursday in a U.S.-China summit where stability in the relationship is the main goal of the two days of discussions.

The White House and Chinese state media said the leaders concluded their meeting Thursday morning after about two hours. Trump is expected to leave just after midday Friday after a final private meeting with Xi. But few breakthroughs are expected on divisive issues ranging from the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan.

Trump hopes to focus the summit talks on trade and deals for China to buy more agricultural products and passenger planes, setting up a board to address their differences and avoid a repeat of the trade war ignited last year after Trump’s tariff hikes.

In their closed-door meeting, Xi told Trump that if Taiwan is handled well, U.S.-China relations “will enjoy overall stability.” If not, the two countries risk “clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Xi said, according to China's official Xinhua News Agency.

The BBC reported that they had a look at the menu for the state banquet. The guests will have hors d’oeuvres before a main course consisting of:

Lobster in tomato soup
Crispy beef ribs
Beijing roast duck
Stewed seasonal vegetables
Slow-cooked salmon in mustard sauce
Pan-fried pork bun

For dessert:

Trumpet shell-shaped pastry
Tiramisu
Fruits and ice cream

"The world is changing and turbulent," Xi said and noted that the relationship between the two countries impacts not just the 1.7 billion people who live in both countries but also the 8 billion people who live outside the two countries.

US President Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan to the White House on 24th September.

"It is my honour to extend an invitation to you, Madam Peng, to visit us at the White House this September 24, and we look forward to it," Trump said, addressing Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan at a banquet following talks in Beijing.

Trump said that he received a "magnificent welcome like no other". "It was a great honour to be with you," he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the US-China relationship is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world.

Xi raised a toast to the development and the future of the two largest economies of the world.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said that "the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" and "Make America great again" could go hand in hand.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a "good" meeting in Beijing on Thursday, the White House said, in a readout that did not include any reference to Taiwan.

"President Trump had a good meeting with President Xi of China. The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation," the White House said in a statement.

It made no mention of discussions on self-ruled Taiwan that Xi earlier said could cause a "conflict" between China and the United States should the issue be mishandled.
(AFP)

"Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed that Strait of Hormuz “must remain open,” said the White House.

For decades, the Republic of China in Taipei also claimed to be the legitimate Chinese government, but in 1971 Beijing took over the China seat at the United Nations from Taipei.

China's President Xi Jinping hailed on Thursday a "new positioning" of ties with the United States that envisages cooperation with measured competition, following his summit with President Donald Trump.

Xi said both leaders agreed that building a constructive, strategically stable relationship would guide ties in the next three years and beyond, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

Xi described such ties as based primarily on cooperation but with measured competition for "a normal stability in which differences are controllable, and a lasting stability in which peace can be expected", the ministry added.

(Reuters)

Donald Trump's delegation to China included many top-rung executives from businesses tied to the most sensitive US‑China economic frictions, such as electric cars and technology.

The list includes: 

Elon Musk (SpaceX and Tesla)

Jensen Huang (Nvidia)

Tim Cook (Apple)

Kelly Ortberg (Boeing)

Brian Sikes (Cargill)

Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone)

Jane Fraser (Citigroup)

Henry Lawrence Culp (GE Aerospace)

David Solomon (Goldman Sachs)

Jacob Thaysen (Illumina)

Michael Miebach (Mastercard)

Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron Technology)

Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm)

Ryan McInerney (Visa)

More executives are expected to join the delegation later

Asian shares were mixed Thursday and Chinese stocks traded lower after Wall Street set more records, as investors closely monitored takeaways from U.S. President Donald Trump's summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Trump met with Xi at the Great Hall of the People and they talked about U.S.-China relations and Taiwan, but analysts did not expect major breakthroughs.

U.S. futures edged higher.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index was down 1% to 62,654.05, after briefly reaching another all-time intraday record at above 63,700, partly supported by robust corporate results. South Korea's Kospi closed 1.8% higher at 7,981.41 at a fresh record helped by technology-related stocks on the artificial intelligence boom.

The Shanghai Composite index lost 1.5% to 4,177.92. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.1% to 26,426.06.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 edged up 0.1% to 8,640.70.

Taiwan's Taiex was up 0.9%, and India's Sensex climbed 1%.

(AP)

Taiwan's foreign ministry said Thursday that China is the "sole risk" to regional peace and stability, after Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his US counterpart Donald Trump that the issue of Taiwan could lead to conflict.

"The Beijing authorities are currently the sole risk to regional peace and stability," the ministry said in a statement, highlighting China's "military harassment" and grey-zone activities around Taiwan and the region as evidence, and adding that "Beijing has no right to make any claims on behalf of Taiwan internationally."

(AFP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned his US counterpart Donald Trump that missteps on Taiwan could push their two countries into "conflict", a stark opening salvo as they met in Beijing on Thursday at a superpower summit. 

Trump had arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a "great leader" and "friend", as he predicted that their countries would have "a fantastic future together". 

But beyond the pomp as he welcomed Trump, Xi in less effusive tones said the two sides "should be partners and not rivals", while highlighting the issue of self-ruled democratic Taiwan -- which Beijing claims as its territory -- straight off the bat. 

"The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations," Xi said, according to remarks published by Chinese state media shortly after talks began. 

"If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict, pushing the entire China-US relationship into a highly perilous situation," he added at the opening talks that lasted around two hours 15 minutes. 

(AFP)

When Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping sit down to a lavish state banquet in Beijing on Thursday, one Chinese cuisine is likely to feature on the menu: Huaiyang food, from the region surrounding Shanghai, known for its mild and subtle flavours, refined knife-work and emphasis on seasonal dishes.

For decades, China has used the powerful symbolism of food during landmark official events and when receiving distinguished foreign visitors. In China's modern history, famines and political turmoil that caused decades of widespread rationing turned food into a potent status symbol in Chinese culture.

"One of the key strengths of Huaiyang cuisine is its broad appeal. Its flavours are widely acceptable and accessible to most people ... including international guests," said Shi Qiang, executive chef at Gui Hua Lou, an upscale Huaiyang cuisine restaurant in Shanghai. 

"From the overall philosophy of Huaiyang cuisine, state banquets are not centered on luxury ingredients, they don't rely on expensive items, extravagance is simply not the focus." (Reuters)

 The US has cleared around 10 Chinese firms to buy Nvidia's second-most powerful AI chip, the H200, but not a single delivery has been made so far, three people familiar with the matter said, leaving a major technology deal in limbo as CEO Jensen Huang seeks a breakthrough in China this week, according to a Reuters report.

Huang, who was not initially listed in a White House delegation to Beijing, joined the trip after an invitation from President Donald Trump, a source said. Trump picked him up in Alaska en route to a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, raising hopes the trip could finally unlock stalled efforts to sell the H200 chips in China.

Before U.S. export curbs tightened, Nvidia commanded about 95% of China’s advanced chip market. China once accounted for 13% of its revenue, and Huang has previously estimated the country's AI market alone would be worth $50 billion this year.

The U.S. Commerce Department has approved around 10 Chinese companies including Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance and JD.com to purchase Nvidia's H200 chips, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

A handful of distributors including Lenovo and Foxconn have also been approved, they said. Buyers are permitted to purchase either directly from Nvidia or through those intermediaries and each approved customer can purchase up to 75,000 chips under the U.S. licensing terms, two of them said.

The identities of the approved buyers, and the nature of their relationships with Nvidia and the authorized distributors involving the coveted AI chip, have not been previously reported. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping discussed the war in the Middle East, the Ukraine conflict, and issues on the Korean Peninsula when they met in Beijing on Thursday, the Chinese government said.

"The two heads of state exchanged views on major international and regional issues, including the situation in the Middle East, the Ukraine crisis, and the Korean Peninsula," according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout.

(AFP)

The US has cleared around 10 Chinese firms to buy Nvidia's second-most powerful AI chip, the H200, but not a single delivery has been made so far, three people familiar with the matter said, leaving a major technology deal in limbo as CEO Jensen Huang seeks a breakthrough in China this week.

Huang, who was not initially listed in a White House delegation to Beijing, joined the trip after an invitation from President Donald Trump, a source said. Trump picked him up in Alaska en route to a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, raising hopes the trip could finally unlock stalled efforts to sell the H200 chips in China.

The stakes are significant, highlighting how the US-China tech rivalry is now snarling even approved trade, leaving the world's most valuable company and dominant chipmaker caught between dueling national priorities.

(Reuters)

US President Donald Trump is expected to ask China to help end the costly and unpopular Iran war in discussions with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, with peace talks stalled and the global economic cost of the conflict increasing.

The US-Israeli war with Iran looms large over Trump's visit to China, the first by a US president since his last trip there in 2017, although analysts say he is unlikely to get the support he wants.

More than one month after a tenuous ceasefire took effect, diplomatic efforts have failed to make progress towards resolving a war that has cost thousands of lives, reshaped alliances in the Middle East and driven up prices of oil and other key commodities around the world.

In China, Elon Musk has been the object of love - and occasional loathing.

The Tesla boss has been both lauded as a visionary and criticised by Chinese regulators and the public for the alleged bungling of customer complaints. In addition, the dominance of SpaceX and its Starlink satellite unit has raised the ire of the People's Liberation Army. And as the gap between Tesla and its Chinese EV rivals narrows, Musk is at risk of losing prestige and influence.

Musk is now among a group of more than a dozen CEOs and top executives accompanying US President Donald Trump to Beijing for a summit with Xi Jinping, along with Apple's Tim Cook and Nvidia boss Jensen Huang. 

Responding to reporters on his way out of the Great Hall of the People on Thursday, Musk said he wants to accomplish "many good things" in China.

While Tesla is being hit by local electric vehicle makers on technology and price, the company - and Musk - remain influential in China. That is in part because Musk's interests align with those of Beijing, said Kyle Chan, a fellow in Chinese technology at the Brookings Institution.

"When you look at Beijing's tech priorities, many of them line up almost perfectly with Elon Musk's," Chan said, pointing to EVs, autonomous vehicles, AI and humanoid robots, as well as brain-computer interfaces and satellites.

(Reuters)

US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping visited Beijing's historic Temple of Heaven after concluding high-stakes talks on Thursday. 

The two leaders arrived at the world heritage site shortly after 1 pm (0500 GMT), where Trump told reporters that "China's beautiful", after talks that touched on thorny issues.

(AFP)

Chinese President Xi Jinping told a delegation of US business executives that China would "open wider" to the world during US-China talks in Beijing on Thursday.

"China's doors to the outside world will open wider and wider... American companies will enjoy even brighter prospects in China," Xi said, Chinese state media reported. 

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla boss Elon Musk were among the business leaders who travelled to China with US President Donald Trump.

(AFP)

China's Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump on Thursday that disagreement over Taiwan could send relations down a dangerous path and that "Taiwan independence" and cross-Taiwan Strait peace are as "irreconcilable as fire and water". For decades, the Republic of China in Taipei claimed to be the legitimate Chinese government, but in 1971 Beijing took over the China seat at the United Nations from Taipei.

Currently only 12 countries maintain formal ties with Taipei, mostly small developing nations such as Belize and Tuvalu.

Most major Western countries and U.S. allies maintain close unofficial ties with Taiwan by recognising the Republic of China passport and having de facto embassies in each other's capitals. Taiwanese citizens can freely travel to most countries using their Taiwanese passports.

China says it will not renounce the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Beijing has offered Taiwan a "one country, two systems" model similar to Hong Kong, which promised the city a high degree of autonomy, although no major political party in Taiwan supports that.

Opinion polls in Taiwan have repeatedly shown most Taiwanese wish to maintain the current status quo in relations with China.

China also says that United Nations Resolution 2758, passed in 1971, means the world legally recognises Taiwan belongs to China. The resolution states that the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government of China.

The government in Taipei says that is nonsense given the resolution made no mention of Taiwan or its status. Last year, the U.S. State Department said China was intentionally mis-characterising the resolution as part of broader "coercive attempts to isolate Taiwan from the international community".

US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping visited Beijing's historic Temple of Heaven after concluding high-stakes talks on Thursday. 

The two leaders arrived at the world heritage site shortly after 1 pm (0500 GMT), where Trump told reporters that "China's beautiful", after talks that touched on thorny issues.

Source: MT News
Xi Jinping is showing President Trump around the Temple of Heaven in Beijing@MTodayNews pic.twitter.com/bWOfgpZAqz

— Habtamu Imiru (@HabtamuImiru) May 14, 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping told a delegation of US business executives that China would "open wider" to the world during US-China talks in Beijing on Thursday.

"China's doors to the outside world will open wider and wider... American companies will enjoy even brighter prospects in China," Xi said, Chinese state media reported. 

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla boss Elon Musk were among the business leaders who travelled to China with US President Donald Trump.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday that he hoped US. President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping would build on their good relationship during talks in Beijing to improve two-way ties.

Huang, who joined Trump's state visit to China at the eleventh hour, is struggling to maintain Nvidia's presence in the world's second-largest economy.

The US chipmaker is currently unable to deliver its H200 chips to Chinese clients seeking to use the hardware to power developments in artificial intelligence.

(Reuters)

Trump-Xi Summit: The US President wants China to stop weaponising supply chains, especially rare earths that power US tech and defence industries.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping wrap up meeting after two hours of talks covering Taiwan, trade and other differences in US-China relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump that the world's two largest economies could "come into conflict" if the issue over self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by Beijing, is mishandled, according to Chinese state media. Speaking during the bilateral summit with Trump, Xi reportedly called the issue of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait the "most important issue in China-US relations".

Trump started his two-day China trip with accolades for his host, calling Xi a "great leader" and "friend", as he called for "a fantastic future together" for the two nations. But Xi used less effusive tones, saying the two sides "should be partners and not rivals" and highlighting the issue of Taiwan straight off the bat.

Taiwan said Thursday the United States has expressed "clear and firm support" for the island democracy, as US President Donald Trump meets with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing. 

"The US side has repeatedly reaffirmed its clear and firm support for Taiwan," cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee told reporters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Donald Trump that the world's two largest economies could "come into conflict" if the issue over self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by Beijing, is mishandled, according to Chinese state media. Xi reportedly called the issue of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait the "most important issue in China-US relations".

"The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations," Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to ask China to help end the costly and unpopular Iran war in discussions with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, with peace talks stalled and the global economic cost of the conflict increasing.

The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran looms large over Trump's visit to China, the first by a U.S. president since his last trip there in 2017, although analysts say he is unlikely to get the support he wants.

More than one month after a tenuous ceasefire took effect, diplomatic efforts have failed to make progress towards resolving a war that has cost thousands of lives, reshaped alliances in the Middle East and driven up prices of oil and other key commodities around the world.

Washington has called for Tehran to scrap its nuclear programme and lift the chokehold it has placed on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane through which about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas travelled before the war began on February 28.

(Reuters)

President Donald Trump began his trip to Beijing on Thursday by telling Xi Jinping "it's an honor to be your friend," even as his Chinese counterpart offered a cautionary warning about avoiding a possible clash between the two nations.

The stark contrast in tone underscored just how far apart the leaders remain on thorny issues including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington's relationship with Taiwan - and suggested that Trump and Xi's highly anticipated meetings are likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than major breakthroughs.

In brief remarks before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People moved behind closed doors, Trump was full of optimistic platitudes, saying of Xi, "You're a great leader. Sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it's true."

"It's an honor to be with you. It's an honor to be your friend," Trump said before promising that "the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before."

Xi was darker, expressing hope that the U.S. and China can avoid conflict while saying that history, and the world were asking "whether the two countries can transcend the 'Thucydides Trap' and forge a new model for relations between major powers."

(AP)

Asian markets were mixed Thursday as investors weighed a high-stakes US-China summit and persistent inflation concerns, which tempered optimism fuelled by record highs on Wall Street.

The cautious mood came after another tech-led rally on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq and S&P 500 hit fresh record highs overnight, buoyed by robust earnings and continued enthusiasm for artificial intelligence investment.

But investor attention centred on President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing -- the first by a US president in nearly a decade -- with markets hoping for progress in easing trade tensions. Analysts, though, cautioned against expecting a major breakthrough.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for the highly anticipated meeting.

The two leaders met after Trump arrived in a motorcade to the steps, where a US delegation including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and business CEOs including Elon Musk awaited him.

(AFP)

Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump were meeting on Thursday in Beijing for a U.S.-China summit where few breakthroughs are expected on divisive issues ranging from the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan.

Trump hopes to focus talks on trade and deals for China to buy more agricultural products and passenger planes, setting up a board to address their differences and avoid a repeat of the trade war ignited last year after Trump’s tariff hikes.

Xi will likely bring up America’s decision to sell weapons to Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own territory. Trump in December authorized an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, but has not yet moved forward with delivery.

Stability in the relationship is the main goal of the two-day summit. Trump is expected to leave just after midday Friday after a final private meeting with Xi.

The war with Iran is also likely to be a key topic. Ahead of the meetings, Trump hoped China would use its considerable leverage to prod Iran to agree to U.S. terms to end the two-month old war or reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz, but he has tempered those calls ahead of the summit.

US President Donald Trump told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that the two superpowers would have a "fantastic future together" as the men met for talks in Beijing.

"It's an honor to be with you. It's an honor to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before." Trump said at the meeting in the Great Hall of the People, adding that the two nations were going to "have a fantastic future together".

.@POTUS meets with President Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing:
"It's an honor to be with you, it's an honor to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the U.S.A. is going to be better than ever before. Thank you very much!" pic.twitter.com/aepz02qOgj

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 14, 2026

Chinese leader Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump the two countries should be "partners and not rivals" as they met for talks in Beijing on Thursday.

"A stable China-US relationship is a boon for the world. Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both. We should be partners and not rivals," Xi said.

Xi added he was "happy" to receive Trump for the US leader's first trip to China since 2017 as "the world has arrived at a new crossroads."

In his opening remarks, Donald Trump said it was "an honour" to be meeting Xi Jinping.

"It's an honour to be your friend," he added.

The US president said he's brought the "best [business leaders] in the world" with him on this trip. "Only the top people here today to pay respects to you," he said.

Trump added that some people have called this "the biggest summit ever", and that he looks forward to the meeting.

"We're going to have a fantastic future together," Donald Trump said in his opening remarks as his summit with Xi Jinping began in Beijing.

President Trump reveals the current meeting with China may be the "biggest summit ever" as he begins closed door talks.

"They can never remember anything like it. People aren't talking about anything else," Trump said.

The highly anticipated bilateral talks between Trump and Xi Jinping began in the Great Hall of the People.

Trump was greeted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, an imposing building on Tiananmen Square that houses China's legislature.

The pair shook hands to start and briefly chatted, with Trump patting Xi on the arm before they posed for pictures.

Cannons then boomed a welcome salute for Trump and a band played the Star-Spangled Banner. Following instruction from a goose stepping, sword carrying member of the military, Xi and Trump went to inspect a military honor guard.

Tiananmen was cleared for the event, with no movement in the plaza save for officials and press, as well as military personnel who paraded in after Trump arrived. The hall featured giant, red-carpeted steps and huge expanses of marble, where soldiers hung large American and Chinese flags.

Hundreds of primary school children wearing bright colors offered a welcome routine, jumping up and down as the girls waved flowers and the boys hoisted American and Chinese flags as the two leaders walked past them.

Donald J. Trump is greeted by President Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China — Children pic.twitter.com/Cn1kGm0Xrk

— Faith Defender (@faithdefender) May 14, 2026

Trump arrived for the two-day summit on Air Force One late Wednesday accompanied by top CEOs, including Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Tesla's Elon Musk.

Rubio also said he was sure that Trump and Xi would discuss Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island claimed by Beijing.

US President Donald Trump (L) takes part in a welcome ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Hundreds of primary school children in brightly colored outfits staged a welcome routine, with the girls waving flowers and the boys hoisting American and Chinese flags and chanting “welcome, welcome, welcome to China” in Mandarin.

US President Donald Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping at Beijing's Great Hall of the People for a high-stakes summit, AFP saw Thursday.

The two leaders shook hands after Trump arrived in a motorcade to the steps, where a US delegation including State Secretary Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and business CEOs including Elon Musk awaited him.

Trump arrives at Great Hall of the People for talks with Xi.

China views the democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory. Therefore, the United States' weapons sales to Taipei is certain to be discussed during the two days of meetings this week between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

When US President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping this week he is expected to ask for help resolving his costly and unpopular war with Iran.

Brett Ratner hopes to search for filming locations for Rush Hour 4 in China and plans to shoot large parts of the movie there.

US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for his highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a restless moment for a world worried about war, trade and artificial intelligence.

The visit occurs at a delicate moment for 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. The president is seeking a win by signing deals with China to buy more American food and aircraft, saying he’ll be talking with Xi about trade “more than anything else.”

US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, are set to discuss key issues dividing the two superpowers when they meet in Beijing today, with trade, America's relations with Taiwan, and the war in Iran on the cards. Xi is scheduled to greet Trump with pomp and ceremony as they meet at 10:00 am (7:30 am IST) at the Great Hall of the People, a centre for key cultural and social events on the Western side of Tiananmen Square, in a lavish welcome that belies the deep tensions between the world's biggest economies. They will have a bilateral meeting before Trump visits the Temple of Heaven -- a religious complex dating to the 15th century that symbolises the relationship between heaven and earth. Trump and Xi will also attend a state banquet.

Ahead of a high-stakes US-China summit, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also accompanied Trump, said the United States is looking for China to take a more active role in ending the war in Iran. "We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they are doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf," Rubio told Fox News in an interview aired Wednesday. "It's both our top political challenge, geopolitically, and it's also the most important relationship for us to manage... It's a big, powerful country. It's going to continue to grow, but we're going to have interests of ours that are going to be in conflict with interests of theirs," he added.

Stock markets drifted higher Wednesday as investors awaited a high-stakes summit between the United States and China, while oil prices diverged as Middle East peace talks stalled.

Oil prices surged earlier this week on signs that no breakthrough was in sight to resume crucial Gulf tanker and cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, paralysed by the Middle East war.

The International Energy Agency warned that countries were tapping into oil inventories and strategic reserves at a "record pace", meaning further price volatility was likely.

Wheels down in Beijing!
President Donald J. Trump lands for a landmark summit with China, greeted by Vice President Han Zheng during a welcome ceremony. pic.twitter.com/4q2mATZrn4

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 13, 2026

At the airport, 300 Chinese youth dressed in blue and white uniforms waved Chinese and American flags in unison and chanted in Chinese, "Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!"

A military band played as US President Donald Trump descended the steps of his plane. He was joined by his son Eric Trump and daughter-in-law Lara Trump.

The highway route leaving the airport was decorated with American and Chinese flags. Skyscrapers were lit up with Chinese characters meaning “Beijing Welcome.” 

The leaders of ‌the world's two largest economies will hold their seventh face-to-face talks. They last met face-to-face in October 2025 in Busan, South Korea.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was banned from entering China, so, finding a diplomatic workaround, the Chinese government and official media transliterated the first syllable of his surname with a different Chinese character for "lu".

China's Vice President Han Zheng will lead the welcoming party for US President Donald Trump. The White House confirmed that the delegation will also include US Ambassador David Perdue, Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng, Chinese Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, 300 young Chinese citizens, along with a military band and honor guard.

Trump arrives in Beijing for summit with Xi

(AFP)

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged his US counterpart Donald Trump to discuss ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine during meetings this week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

"We are in constant contact with our American partners. We are thankful and we are expecting that the issue of ending of the Russian war against Ukraine will be raised now as well, while the President of the United States is in China," Zelensky said in speech delivered during a summit in Romania.

Prominent U.S. executives from Big Tech and Wall Street to agriculture and aerospace will join President Donald Trump on his trip to China this week, according to a White House official.

Trump expected to arrive in Beijing Wednesday to meet with President Xi Jinping. Aside from discussions about Iran, the two leaders are expected to discuss trade and artificial intelligence.

On my way to Beijing in Air Force One

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 13, 2026

China will factor in the real possibility that in the mid-term elections in November, Trump may lose the House of Representatives and may become a lame-duck president. How far should it invest in an agreement with Trump is the question.

US President Donald Trump said he would ask Xi Jinping to "open up" China to American firms as he headed to Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit that will also bring up the Iran war.

In a sign of Trump's focus on business, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang boarded Air Force One during a stopover in Alaska, with Tesla's Elon Musk also travelling on the presidential plane to China.

"I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to 'open up' China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People's Republic to an even higher level!" Trump wrote on social media after departing Washington.

A host of other top CEOs, including Apple's Tim Cook, will also be in Beijing for the visit, the first by a US president to China in nearly a decade. But Trump's ambitions to ramp up trade will have to contend with political frictions over Taiwan and the war in the Middle East, which already delayed the trip from March.

As he departed the White House, Trump said he expected a "long talk" with Xi about Iran, which sells most of its US-sanctioned oil to China. But he also downplayed disagreements, telling reporters that "I don't think we need any help with Iran" from China and that Xi had been "relatively good" on the topic.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng started talks in South Korea on Wednesday to lay the groundwork ahead of this week's summit of the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies in Beijing.

Bessent and He began the talks at Incheon airport after each met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the presidential Blue House, Reuters witnesses said.

The discussions are expected to cover a range of issues to prepare for talks in Beijing between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that are set to run from Thursday to Friday.

The talks between Bessent and He were likely to be exploratory with limited immediate outcomes, said Kim Tae-hwang, a professor of international trade at Myongji University in Seoul.

"Both sides are essentially in a holding pattern ahead of the summit, sounding each other out, rather than seeking breakthroughs," he said.

Donald Trump sought to downplay differences with Xi over Iran and the shadow the conflict is casting on global oil markets. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade issues, Iran war, and Taiwan.

US President Donald Trump picked up Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in Alaska en route to a high-stakes Beijing summit with China's Xi Jinping, while his top trade negotiator Scott Bessent began preparatory talks with Chinese officials in South Korea.

With his public approval ratings bruised by the Iran war, Trump embarks on his first visit to China in nearly a decade aiming to strike deals on farm goods and airplanes and maintain a fragile trade war truce between the world's top two economies.

The CEOs accompanying Trump are drawn mainly from companies seeking to resolve business issues with China, such as Nvidia, which U.S. officials say has struggled to get regulatory permission to sell its powerful H200 artificial intelligence chips there.

"I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to 'open up' China so that these brilliant people can work their magic," Trump said in post on Truth Social, referring to the delegation which he confirmed included Huang.

"I will make that my very first request."

President Donald Trump said he expected a “great meeting” with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his upcoming visit to China, as he projected confidence in US-China ties despite mounting global tensions over Iran, trade and energy security.

Speaking to reporters before boarding Marine One as he left the White House for his China trip, Trump repeatedly praised Xi and described the relationship between the world’s two largest economies as strong and stable.

“My relationship with President Xi is a fantastic one,” Trump said. “We've always gotten along and we're doing very well with China and working with China's been very good.”

The President said both sides were looking forward to the summit and suggested the discussions would focus heavily on trade and long-term strategic ties.

“I think more than anything else since we have massive relationships with China, we're the two superpowers,” Trump said. “We have a lot of things to discuss.”

Trump added that trade would likely dominate the talks. “I would say more than anything else will be trades,” he said.

The President also revealed that Xi is expected to visit the United States later this year. “President Xi will be coming here toward the end of the year,” Trump said. “That'll be exciting too.”

Trump suggested Xi could potentially help in addressing the Iran crisis, although he insisted Washington did not require outside support. “Whatever he can do to help with it,” Trump said when asked whether Xi could contribute to a deal with Tehran.

Prominent US executives from Big Tech to agriculture have been invited to join President Donald Trump on his trip to China this week, according to a White House official.

Trump left on Tuesday for Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping. Aside from discussions about Iran, the two leaders are expected to discuss trade and artificial intelligence.

Here's a look at some of the executives according to the White House official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, led Trump's Department of Government Efficiency until leaving in the spring of 2025 before the controversial pop-up agency was shuttered in November. 

Tim Cook remains busy as his tenure at Apple winds down. The CEO announced last month that his 15-year reign as the head of the technology company will come to an end on Sept. 1, when he turns the CEO duties over to Apple’s head of hardware engineering, 

Donald Trump sought to downplay differences with Xi over Iran and the shadow the conflict is casting on global oil markets. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade issues, Iran war, and Taiwan.

When the leaders of the globe's two economic powerhouses meet, they are set to tackle a loaded agenda, from US arms transfers to Taiwan, Beijing's rare earth export restrictions, the situation in Iran, to the state of bilateral trade relations.

Donald Trump was due in Beijing Wednesday for the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, as the war he launched on Iran in February added to the heap of issues straining the powers' ties.

This week's trip -- the first since Trump visited in 2017 -- will involve high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday and Friday, during a packed itinerary that includes a state banquet and tea reception.

US arms sales to Taiwan, China's controls on rare earth exports and the countries' raucous trade relationship are among the topics expected to be taken up by the heads of the world's top two economies.

The war in the Middle East will also top the agenda, with a senior US official telling reporters this week that Trump will pressure Xi over Iran, as he seeks a deal to end the conflict.