Lead
US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a state visit and scheduled talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with trade, rare earths, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and the Iran war expected to dominate the agenda, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. The visit may produce visible deliverables, but the larger test is whether either side can gain leverage while leaving the deepest disputes unresolved.
The two leaders are expected to hold bilateral talks on Thursday, with the summit focused on stabilizing economic relations, possible Chinese purchases of US agricultural goods and aircraft, rare earths, advanced chips, and the wider impact of the Iran war.
Coverage comparison
The visit follows the Busan summit in October 2025, where Trump and Xi agreed to pause the sharpest phase of their trade war, according to Jerusalem Post. During the escalation leading up to that truce, tariffs on Chinese goods reached as high as 145%, as reported by The Guardian and The Washington Post, cited in the Jerusalem Post article. That truce reduced immediate pressure but did not settle underlying disputes over technology controls, supply chains, market access, or strategic influence, the Jerusalem Post noted.
Chinese officials have signalled privately a growing willingness to retaliate against the United States, buoyed by confidence in their economic leverage, according to the South China Morning Post. Sources told the paper that officials in Beijing had grown bolder since playing its rare earths card in October and were now less worried about tariffs. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Chinese officials believed Beijing had the ability to retaliate strongly and to withstand the pressure if Washington escalated.
The Hindu reported that Beijing has been relatively shielded from the effects of the Iran conflict thanks to its oil reserves and diverse energy sources, while its dominance of the rare earths industry gives it a key bargaining chip in extracting concessions from Washington. However, the report quotes analysts saying Xi will still go into this week's talks worried about a persistent domestic slowdown, an uncertain trade truce, and long-term damage from a prolonged West Asia conflict.
Key claims
- The summit agenda includes trade, rare earths, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and the Iran war, as reported by Jerusalem Post.
- The October 2025 Busan summit produced a trade truce, with tariffs on Chinese goods reaching up to 145% before that, according to Jerusalem Post, citing The Guardian and The Washington Post.
- China has economic interests in continued energy access from Iran, and the US wants Beijing to help restrain Tehran or at least avoid undercutting sanctions pressure, as noted by Jerusalem Post and The Hindu.
- Beijing's dominance of the rare earths industry gives it a key bargaining chip, according to The Hindu and South China Morning Post.
- China's close ties with Iran are a potential source of tension during talks, with Trump expected to press Xi to use his relationship with Tehran to help end the war, as reported by The Hindu.
- Chinese officials have signalled a growing willingness to retaliate against the US, according to South China Morning Post.
- The US-China trade truce is uncertain and may be damaged by a prolonged West Asia conflict, according to The Hindu.
Perspectives
Beijing's view: confidence and leverage
Chinese officials have signalled a growing willingness to retaliate against the US, according to South China Morning Post, believing Beijing has the ability to withstand pressure and use its rare earths dominance as leverage.
Analysts' view: genuine leverage but also urgency
Analysts cited by The Hindu suggest China enters the summit with real bargaining power due to its rare earths and energy resilience, but faces domestic slowdown and risks from a prolonged Iran conflict that could complicate its position.