U.S. President Meets Chinese Officials in Beijing

The U.S. president met with Chinese officials in Beijing during a recent visit. The delegation included approximately thirty American chief executives from major companies. The inclusion of the executives was not on the original schedule. Officials from both sides adjusted the agenda after the U.S. president proposed introducing the group before formal discussions began.

Chinese officials opened the talks by addressing U.S. policy toward Taiwan. They stated that changes in the U.S. posture could have serious consequences. The U.S. president later described the meeting as longer than planned and noted that the schedule shift surprised the Chinese side. He said the discussion moved to topics that had not been prepared in advance.

The U.S. has restricted exports of advanced chips to China.

European officials have also taken steps to limit imports of Chinese electric vehicles. Chinese authorities set an economic growth target of 4.5 to 5 percent for the current year. That target is the lowest since the government began issuing such projections in the 1990s.

Investment in housing, manufacturing, and infrastructure declined last year, according to reports from Chinese state media. The property sector has faced ongoing difficulties for several years.