Trump Beijing Visit: Talks on Iran War, Energy Security, Trade and Taiwan

Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening. Trump is set to meet President Xi Jinping during a three-day visit. Officials expected talks on the Iran war, China’s Iranian oil purchases, trade tensions, Russia, and Taiwan. Both sides signalled a wish to keep ties stable. However, officials also prepared for difficult exchanges.

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said an opening ceremony and formal meeting will happen on Thursday morning. The trip is set to end on Friday. Kelly also confirmed the United States plans to welcome the Chinese leader on a return visit later in the year. The White House said the schedule stays tight.

Day	Planned activity
Wednesday evening	Trump due to arrive in Beijing
Thursday morning	Opening ceremony and formal meeting with President Xi Jinping
Friday	Visit expected to end

Kelly called the trip of "tremendous symbolic significance". Kelly said the agenda would stress "rebalancing the relationship with China and prioritising reciprocity and fairness to restore American economic independence". The White House linked Iran, energy security, and trade issues. Officials indicated these topics will be handled together in discussions.

A senior administration official briefed reporters on Sunday, speaking anonymously. The official said Trump could "apply pressure" on Beijing over Iran. The focus included Chinese purchases of Iranian oil. The official also raised Tehran’s access to potential dual-use civilian and military equipment. Washington feared such items could strengthen Iran during the war.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week accused Beijing’s energy trade of helping Tehran. Bessent told Fox News that China is "funding" Iran. Bessent added: "Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and China has been buying 90 percent of their energy, so they are funding the largest state sponsor of terrorism,". Oil payments were expected to be a tense point.

Trump China Iran war and Strait of Hormuz: global energy disruption

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz after US-Israeli attacks. The closure limited traffic on a key energy route. Some seafarers were left stuck on vessels in contested waters. The wider Iran war disruption hit the global economy. Asian countries rely on Middle East imports, and Southeast Asian leaders discussed these shocks at a recent ASEAN summit.

China publicly called for the Iran war to end. China also urged that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened. This followed a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arraghchi. Beijing hosted Arraghchi last week. Yet Chinese officials rejected Washington’s "unilateral" sanctions on Iran’s oil sector. Beijing argued the US measures lack broader international backing.

Trump China Iran war agenda: Russia, rare earths, trade, and Taiwan

Beyond Iran, Trump is expected to press China on support for Russia. Trade disputes were also due to feature. US concerns included access to rare earth minerals used by the United States technology industry. Business leaders from Boeing and several agricultural firms travelled with the delegation. The senior official said Washington’s Taiwan position remains unchanged.

China continued to view Taiwan as part of its territory. The United States kept strong security and economic ties with Taiwan. As Trump headed to Beijing, both governments faced pressure from the Iran war and energy routes. Chinese oil buying, rare earth supplies, Russia, and trade added strain. Even so, both sides signalled they want relations manageable.