Trump and Xi Hold Bilateral Talks in Beijing

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.

The current summit is seen as an opportunity to secure a firmer trade agreement. Trump formally invited Xi to the United States during the visit. The two leaders also inspected Chinese troops lined up in formation and watched dozens of children waving mini flags and bouquets along the red carpet.

>"It's an honour to be your friend... We've gotten along, when there were difficulties we worked it out. Musk, Huang, Cook and Fink attended events including the arrival ceremony and meetings with Chinese officials. Their participation reflects ongoing commercial interests amid tensions over technology exports and market access.

U.S. officials openly acknowledged seeking Beijing's influence to help end the costly conflict in the Persian Gulf. Reuters reported that Trump was expected to ask China to press Iran to resume stalled peace talks. Iran's foreign minister separately claimed the UAE had been involved in military operations against his country, though that assertion was not addressed at the summit.

The meetings occurred against a backdrop of mixed global market reactions. European equity futures pointed to a positive open while APAC stocks traded mixed on the day of the summit.