Trump Says "Trade Over Iran" as He Prepares for Summit with Xi Jinping (Comprehensive)

In-depth Discussions on the Iran Issue Expected

"China's Top Agenda Is the Taiwan Strait Issue"

Reuters Yonhap News

U.S. President Donald Trump, heading to Beijing for a summit with China for the first time in nine years, stated that "above all, trade will be on the agenda." This is a departure from expectations that he would ask China, which is providing covert support to Iran, to mediate an end to the ongoing war. He also drew a line, saying, "Iran will not be one of the main topics."

Before leaving the White House on the 12th (local time) to attend the summit in Beijing, President Trump told reporters, "We have a lot to discuss." When asked specifically about the message he would deliver to Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the Iran war, he replied, "We will have a long conversation about it," adding, "Iran is being well managed by us (the United States), and either we reach an agreement or they will be annihilated."

U.S. Soybeans, Boeing, and Beef Exports and Trade Expected to Be Central Agenda Items

AFP Yonhap News

The trade-related agenda items President Trump referred to include an extension of the tariff dispute truce, China’s purchase of U.S. agricultural products and aircraft, and follow-up measures regarding fentanyl smuggling. There are especially high expectations for export contracts for U.S. soybeans, beef, and Boeing aircraft. These three items account for about 12% of the total U.S. exports to China.

The list of U.S. business delegates visiting China includes the CEOs of Tesla, Apple, Meta, Blackstone, Micron Technology, as well as the feed company Cargill and Boeing. A source familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, "All of them have significant business interests in China and represent sectors related to the trade agenda of this visit."

However, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, was not on the list. Ryan Fedashuk, a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), analyzed that "the intention is to send a strong signal to China that its AI companies will find it difficult to obtain top-performance U.S. chips like those of Nvidia."

Additionally, the establishment of a Board of Trade and a Board of Investment is also being considered a key agenda item. Given that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is leading this summit, it is expected to further strengthen efforts to redefine bilateral trade relations. Former U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns pointed out, "For the first time since Henry Kissinger, neither the Secretary of State nor the National Security Advisor is leading the relationship with China."

Although President Trump said it would not be a main topic, in-depth discussions regarding the Iran war are also expected. With the Iran war ongoing for ten weeks, pressure from the U.S. Congress is mounting. On this day, at a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense for the fiscal year 2027 defense budget, the Department of Defense revealed that costs incurred over the ten weeks of war with Iran have reached $29 billion (about 43 trillion won). Democratic lawmakers pressed for answers on why spending had increased by $4 billion (6 trillion won) in just two weeks.

In particular, China is facing difficulties in energy supply due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Before the Iran war, China sourced 11% of its crude oil imports from Iran. China is also a strategic partner of Iran. As a result, this summit may serve as an opportunity to confirm China's willingness to resolve the conflict. However, Bloomberg reported that since President Trump postponed his visit to China once due to the Iran war yet failed to bring it to an end, the U.S.'s negotiating leverage has weakened.

China’s Top Priority Is 'Taiwan'...U.S. Position Remains Unchanged

AFP Yonhap News

China is expected to demand a change in the U.S. position on Taiwan. Last December, the United States approved arms sales to Taiwan worth $11 billion—the largest amount ever—which China has strongly protested. Zhu Feng, Dean of the School of International Studies at Nanjing University, said, "China will press not only on weapons sales but also for a policy shift from President Trump regarding Taiwan," adding, "This is the most sensitive and core interest issue for China."

However, the likelihood of the United States adjusting its position on Taiwan is low. The New York Times, citing White House officials, reported that there would be no significant change in U.S. policy toward Taiwan.

Meanwhile, on this visit, President Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamison Greer, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff James Blair. Through this trip, President Trump is meeting President Xi for the first time in six months since their summit in Busan last October. It is the first meeting in Beijing between the two leaders since the Trump Administration's first term, from November 8 to 10, 2017, nearly nine years ago.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.