Uneasy truce in Beijing as Trump and Xi discuss trade, Taiwan

INTERNATIONAL – USA

15 MAY 2026

• The United States and China appeared to come to an uneasy truce — at least for now — on trade, Taiwan, and the future of an increasingly contested relationship, as their leaders met for talks in Beijing on 14 May 2026.

On Taiwan

• Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting U.S. President Donald Trump that relations could descend to “clashes and conflicts” if the Taiwan question, which he described as “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations”, was not managed properly, according to the Chinese readout of the talks.
• China conveyed its opposition to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

On Iran Crisis

• The White House statement said both did agree on the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and to support the free flow of energy, and that Mr. Xi had “made clear China’s opposition to the militarisation of the strait”.
• However, there appeared no broader agreement on addressing the Iran crisis.

On Rare Earth

• Both countries have traded blows in an ongoing trade and technology war.
• For U.S. businesses, restricted access to rare earths was a major worry, while for China, American export controls remain a concern, especially on semiconductors.

Future Meets

The two leaders could also meet at an APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit that China is set to host later in 2026, and at the G-20 meet in Miami.

Mr. Trump invited Mr. Xi to visit the U.S. on September 24, which he provisionally accepted.