송상호
| 2026-05-13 04:17:06
(2nd LD) Trump-China
(2nd LD) Trump heads to China for high-stakes summit with Xi
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; ADDS more info in paras 4-5)
By Song Sang-ho
BEIJING, May 13 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump departed for Beijing on Tuesday (Washington time) for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, amid hopes that the long-awaited meeting will help ease tensions in their deepening strategic rivalry and foster cooperation on complex issues, such as Iran.
Trump is scheduled to land in Beijing on Wednesday evening (local time) for a three-day visit, marking his first trip to China since November 2017. This trip comes despite an impasse in U.S.-Iran talks aimed at ending the war and reopening the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
On Thursday morning, Trump and Xi are set to hold a meeting, which would be the first of four possible bilateral talks this year, including meetings on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November and the Group of 20 gathering in Florida in December.
Before departing, Trump told reporters that he will discuss "a lot of different things" with Xi.
"I would say more than anything else will be trade," he said.
During their talks, Trump and Xi are expected to discuss trade, the security of Taiwan, the ongoing U.S.-Israel war with Iran and artificial intelligence (AI), among other issues, according to senior U.S. officials.
North Korea could also be brought up during the meeting, observers said, as Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un amid growing concerns over Pyongyang's advancing nuclear and missile programs.
On trade, the two sides are likely to discuss the creation of a "board of trade," a mechanism that would allow the world's two largest economies to manage trade across non-sensitive goods, at a time when both sides have tightened export controls on strategic goods, such as semiconductors and critical minerals.
The board might cover "double-digit billions" of dollars in bilateral trade, according to a senior U.S. official.
Along with the envisioned mechanism, Trump and Xi are expected to discuss a proposed "board of investment," which the official said is a venue for discussing discrete investment issues.
Taiwan is another key issue on the agenda.
Observers anticipated that Xi would reiterate China's longstanding position on Taiwan, which it regards as part of its territory, while questions remain over whether Trump would embrace a shift in the United States' policy on Taiwan.
Speculation arose that the Trump administration could tweak U.S. policy language about Taiwan, saying the U.S. would oppose rather than simply say it "does not support" Taiwan independence.
But a senior U.S. official pointed out that there has been no change in U.S. policy on Taiwan.
"We don't expect any changes in U.S. policy going forward," he told reporters in an online press briefing on Sunday.
At the upcoming summit, Iran is likely to figure prominently as the Trump administration wants China not to provide any military and financial support for Iran, and to pressure it to make a peace deal with the U.S. amid the growing fragility of the ceasefire between the two countries.
Trump could touch on China's possible transfer of dual-use goods and components, as well as the potential for weapons exports to both Iran and Russia, according to officials.
Security on the Korean Peninsula could also be on the leaders' agenda as Trump might want Xi to aid in his efforts to resume diplomacy with the North Korean leader.
"North Korea may also come up. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently traveled to Pyongyang and there has been a noticeable uptick in China-North Korea economic and diplomatic activity ever since Kim Jong-un's visit to Beijing last November," said Patricia M. Kim, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's John L. Thornton China Center and the Center for Asia Policy Studies.
"Trump has expressed interest in meeting Kim again, and there was speculation that the two leaders could meet during Trump's travels to Asia last fall," Kim added. "While North Korea has since receded from the spotlight, it remains a topic that could resurface in leader-level discussions."
Another key issue is whether China would commit to renewed purchases of American agricultural products, such as soybeans, as well as Boeing aircraft.
Moreover, the two leaders could discuss security risks related to AI, as the international community seeks to promote the responsible use of the new technology shaping life across the globe.
On Thursday evening, Trump and Xi will attend a state banquet.
The following day, Trump will have tea and a working lunch with Xi before departing.
(END)
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]