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Trump and Xi Hold Bilateral Talks in Beijing
President Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14, 2026, for a two-day summit that included a state banquet and discussions on trade, Taiwan and the Iran conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. is pressing China to persuade Iran to halt its actions in the Strait of Hormuz.
May 13, 11:56 AM·3m read111 sources
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The IndependentAudio version
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President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026, as part of a two-day state visit focused on trade stabilization and the ongoing Iran conflict. Trump, accompanied by U.S. business leaders, arrived the previous evening and was greeted with a gun salute, cheering children and a red-carpet welcome featuring both American and Chinese flags.
The leaders opened their meeting with cordial remarks. " Xi responded that the U.S. and China should be "partners, not rivals" and that common interests outweigh differences. He added that the two had kept "China-U.S. relations generally stable" through meetings and phone calls.
After two hours of private discussions, the pair toured the Temple of Heaven, a 15th-century complex where Ming and Qing emperors once prayed for good harvests. Trump described the site as a "great place, incredible" while posing for photographs with Xi.
Later that evening they attended a lavish state banquet at the Great Hall of the People. " The menu was not disclosed in advance, though past banquets featured items including coconut-flavoured chicken soup, seafood chowder and kung pao chicken. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that Trump raised the Iran war and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during the summit.
" An Iranian NSC spokesperson responded that new confrontations with the U.S. are possible and that Tehran is preparing a law regarding navigation in the strait. Taiwan officials said they expected no surprises from the summit and urged China to end its military pressure on the island.
Rubio separately told NBC that arms sales to Taiwan are not a major focus of the current discussions. " The visit included several prominent American business figures. Trump was joined by Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Tim Cook of Apple and Larry Fink of BlackRock.
Nvidia has been central to U.S.-China technology rivalry in recent years. Farmers in the American heartland are watching the visit closely. Trump's previous trade measures with China resulted in grain farmers losing considerable business from international buyers, according to NPR.
