Trump, Xi walk diplomatic tightrope over Iran, Taiwan, trade at Beijing summit

BEIJING, China (MNTV) — U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sought to project stability and cooperation during a high-stakes summit in Beijing on Thursday, agreeing that the Strait of Hormuz “must remain open” while also exposing deep divisions over Taiwan, trade, and global power rivalry.

The White House described the Trump-Xi talks as a “good meeting,” while China’s Foreign Ministry said the two leaders agreed to pursue a “constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.”

The summit, held at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, came at a time of mounting global uncertainty following the Iran conflict, fragile Gulf ceasefire arrangements, growing U.S.-China competition in technology and trade, and rising military tensions around Taiwan.

In its official statement, the White House said Trump and Xi agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to safeguard the free flow of global energy supplies.

“The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy,” the White House said after the meeting.

The statement added that Xi opposed “the militarization of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use,” referring to Iranian threats earlier this year to impose restrictions on shipping through the strategic waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, carrying nearly a fifth of global oil supplies. Regional tensions escalated after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year triggered retaliatory attacks and disruptions to Gulf shipping lanes.

Washington has since tightened naval controls in the region while pressing allies to maintain freedom of navigation.

The White House also said both leaders agreed that “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” signaling rare convergence between Washington and Beijing on the Iranian nuclear issue despite broader disagreements over the Middle East.

China has not publicly confirmed the White House’s claim in the same terms.

The White House said Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed during their May 14, 2026 meeting in Beijing that “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” while also discussing the need to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Washington presented the point as a significant area of convergence between the two powers.

However, China’s Foreign Ministry readout was far more restrained. Beijing said the leaders discussed international and regional issues, including the Middle East, but made no mention of any agreement on Iran’s nuclear program or the White House’s specific formulation that Iran should “never” possess a nuclear weapon.

Instead, the Chinese statement focused heavily on Taiwan, which Xi reportedly described as the most important issue in China-US relations, warning that mishandling it could trigger conflict. Notably, the US readout did not mention Taiwan.

Such differences are common in US-China diplomacy, where both sides issue separate summaries highlighting issues that support their own strategic narratives.

US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have pointed to longstanding Chinese opposition to nuclear proliferation in Iran as evidence of shared ground. But Beijing has so far avoided publicly endorsing Washington’s stronger language.

China has traditionally maintained a nuanced position: supporting Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while opposing the spread of nuclear weapons. Beijing has not publicly echoed the White House’s categorical “never” framing, nor announced any new bilateral understanding with Washington on the issue.

China, the world’s largest buyer of Iranian oil, has repeatedly called for dialogue and de-escalation in the region while criticizing unilateral military action.

Trade and economic relations were another central focus of the talks.

Trump pushed China to increase purchases of American agricultural products, expand market access for U.S. companies, and cooperate more aggressively on curbing fentanyl precursor chemicals flowing into the United States.

“The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between our two countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into our industries,” the White House statement said.

Global markets and bilateral trade

Xi, meanwhile, attempted to reassure both global markets and the visiting American business delegation that China remained open for business.

The Chinese president described bilateral trade ties worth roughly $414 billion as “mutually beneficial and win-win in nature.”

“Facts have shown time and again that trade wars have no winner,” Xi said, urging what he called “equal-footed consultation” between the two powers.

The summit followed recent negotiations between senior Chinese and American trade officials in South Korea, which Beijing described as “candid, in-depth, and constructive.”

Xi repeatedly emphasized that China and the United States should be “partners, not rivals.”

“Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,” Xi said in opening remarks before the closed-door talks.

He also warned against what he called the “Thucydides Trap,” a concept in international relations suggesting that conflict often emerges when a rising power challenges an established global power.

Xi said both nations faced questions “vital to history, to the world, and to the people,” including whether they could avoid confrontation and jointly provide stability during a turbulent global period.

Taiwan remains a thorn

But despite the positive language, Taiwan remained the summit’s sharpest flashpoint.

According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Xi delivered a blunt warning to Trump over U.S. support for Taiwan, the self-governed island Beijing claims as its own territory.

“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations,” Xi told Trump, according to the official Chinese readout.

“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”

The White House statement notably avoided any mention of Taiwan.

The warning comes amid growing Chinese anger over an $11 billion U.S. arms package approved for Taiwan, although delivery has not yet begun.

Washington maintains unofficial but close relations with Taipei and remains Taiwan’s largest arms supplier under longstanding U.S. policy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said American policy on Taiwan remained unchanged but warned that any attempt by China to seize the island by force would be “a terrible mistake.”

Taiwanese officials responded cautiously after the summit, thanking Washington for its “long-term support” while expressing hope for regional stability.

The summit itself blended diplomacy with elaborate symbolism.

Trump received a grand ceremonial welcome featuring military honors, booming cannons, marching bands and hundreds of schoolchildren waving Chinese and American flags.

The two leaders later toured Beijing’s Temple of Heaven together before Xi hosted Trump and his delegation for a lavish state banquet at the Great Hall of the People. “Incredible, beautiful,” Trump said while visiting the historic temple complex.

The U.S. president struck a notably warm tone throughout the visit, praising Xi publicly and describing him as “a great leader.”

“It’s an honor to be your friend,” Trump told Xi before their private talks. Trump also suggested Xi could make a reciprocal visit to Washington later this year.

The American delegation reflected the growing intersection of geopolitics and global business competition.

Alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump was joined by some of the most influential executives in the United States, including Tesla chief Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, BlackRock chief Larry Fink, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon and Goldman Sachs chief David Solomon.

Chinese state media highlighted the presence of American corporate leaders as evidence that economic interdependence between the two countries remained strong despite political tensions.

The leaders also discussed the Russia-Ukraine war, tensions on the Korean Peninsula, artificial intelligence competition, rare earth supplies and extending the current U.S.-China trade truce.

While both governments attempted to portray the summit as constructive, analysts said the talks ultimately underscored how difficult it remains for Washington and Beijing to bridge differences on the world’s most sensitive geopolitical crises.

Still, both sides appeared eager to avoid open confrontation.

Xi said the relationship should feature “cooperation as the mainstay, moderate competition, manageable differences, and promises of peace.”

For now, the Beijing summit produced no major breakthroughs, but it signaled that both powers remain determined to manage rivalry through dialogue rather than direct confrontation — even as tensions over Taiwan, trade and global security continue to deepen.