What Xi wants from Trump as Beijing seeks leverage in high-stakes summit

President Donald Trump arrived successful Beijing for a high-stakes acme pinch Chinese President Xi Jinping astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile some Washington and Beijing are trying to stabilize 1 of nan world’s astir consequential rivalries without giving crushed connected deeper strategical disputes.

The two-day sojourn marks Trump’s first travel to China since 2017 and comes amid mounting tensions complete trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and nan fallout from nan warfare pinch Iran. While nan White House is framing nan acme arsenic an opportunity for caller economical agreements and "rebalancing" nan U.S.–China relationship, analysts opportunity Beijing’s priorities are acold broader and much long-term.

"Trump arrives seeking header deals and visible momentum up of nan midterms," wrote Zongyuan Zoe Liu, elder chap for China studies astatine nan Council connected Foreign Relations. "Xi is playing a longer game, focused connected strategical patience alternatively than substantive compromise."

TRUMP HEADS TO BEIJING FOR HIGH-STAKES XI TALKS AS TAIWAN TENSIONS, TRADE DISPUTES TEST US STRENGTH

President Donald Trump is expected to property Chinese President Xi Jinping connected China’s economical and strategical support for some Iran and Russia, including lipid revenue, dual-use components and imaginable weapons transfers, according to elder management officials. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Topics expected to beryllium discussed during nan acme see trade, aerospace, agriculture and power agreements, and nan creation of a U.S.–China Board of Trade and Board of Investment, according to nan White House. 

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Trump’s extremity is to "deliver much bully deals connected behalf of our country" while safeguarding U.S. nationalist security.

Trump participated successful a invited ceremonial and bilateral gathering pinch Xi Thursday greeting section clip successful Beijing, followed by a circuit of nan Temple of Heaven alongside nan Chinese leader and a authorities banquet later. 

Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said Beijing views nan acme arsenic an opportunity to stabilize ties betwixt nan world’s 2 largest economies. 

"Heads-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable domiciled successful providing strategical guidance for China–U.S. relations," Liu said successful a connection to Fox News Digital. "We invited President Trump’s authorities sojourn to China. China stands fresh to activity pinch nan U.S. to grow practice and negociate differences successful nan tone of equality, respect and communal benefit, and supply much stableness and certainty for a transforming and volatile world."

For Xi, analysts say, nan apical privilege apt is avoiding further escalation pinch Washington while buying clip for China’s slowing economy, arsenic it continues to struggle pinch anemic home demand, deflationary unit and business overcapacity. 

A caller study by nan U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission warned that Beijing is doubling down connected state-led industrial policy contempt mounting structural weaknesses successful nan Chinese economy.

The committee said China is progressively operating a "two-speed" economy, wherever overmuch of nan broader system stagnates while sectors prioritized by nan Chinese Communist Party person monolithic authorities support and proceed expanding beyond marketplace demand.

The study besides warned of a caller "China Shock 2.0," arguing Beijing’s excess business capacity and grounds trade surplus are disrupting world markets while expanding overseas dependence connected Chinese-controlled proviso chains successful sectors ranging from batteries and pharmaceuticals to semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

"Chinese argumentation seeks simultaneously to trim China’s reliance connected overseas exertion while expanding nan world’s dependence connected China," nan committee noted successful its findings.

TRUMP TO CONFRONT XI AT HIGH-STAKES SUMMIT OVER CHINA BACKING FOR IRAN, RUSSIA

President Trump was greeted by a general authorities invited erstwhile he touched down successful Beijing up of high-stakes talks pinch Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

At nan aforesaid time, Xi is entering nan talks pinch leverage stemming from nan ongoing Iran situation and world power disruptions.

Trump has faced increasing home unit complete rising power prices tied to instability successful nan Middle East and shipping threats adjacent nan Strait of Hormuz. Beijing, meanwhile, remains 1 of Iran’s largest lipid customers and maintains governmental ties pinch Tehran.

Susan Thornton, erstwhile acting adjunct secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs during Trump’s first term, said during a caller Stanford University Asia-Pacific Research Center interview that expectations for awesome breakthroughs should stay debased contempt nan summit’s symbolism.

"The superior worth lies successful nan enactment of gathering itself," Thornton said.

She suggested Beijing whitethorn spot a strategical advantage successful America’s renewed attraction connected nan Middle East. While China has made nominal bid proposals, it has not stepped up arsenic a mediator.

"It seems for illustration they are benignant of hanging backmost and waiting to spot what will happen," Thornton said, arguing that from Beijing’s perspective, a U.S. entanglement successful nan Middle East whitethorn service arsenic a useful distraction, diverting Washington’s attraction and unit distant from China.

One area wherever nan 2 sides could denote tangible advancement is agriculture. 

The White House is pushing Beijing for expanded purchases of U.S. workplace products up of nan summit, according to a Reuters study published Tuesday, peculiarly soybeans and grains. 

But traders and analysts told Reuters that China’s appetite for awesome caller soybean commitments whitethorn beryllium constricted owed to anemic home request and cheaper alternatives from Brazil. Instead, markets are watching for imaginable agreements involving corn, sorghum, wheat, beef and poultry, sectors viewed arsenic little politically contentious successful nan broader U.S.–China relationship. 

More than a twelve U.S. business executives, including leaders from cultivation elephantine Cargill, are accompanying Trump during nan visit.

PRESIDENT TRUMP MUST PUT AMERICAN HOSTAGES FIRST IN HIGH-STAKES BEIJING SUMMIT

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his woman Peng Liyuan invited U.S. President Donald Trump and his woman Melania Trump astatine nan Palace Museum, besides known arsenic nan Forbidden City, successful Beijing, Nov. 8, 2017.  (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi via Getty Images)

Despite nan attraction connected waste and acquisition and geopolitical tensions, survivors of China’s religious persecution are urging nan management not to sideline Beijing’s crackdown connected belief groups and dissidents.

Ahead of nan summit, Trump publically pledged to raise nan lawsuit of imprisoned Chinese pastor Ezra Jin pursuing defense efforts by his daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, who has accused Beijing of persecuting Christians.

Former U.S. officials told Fox News Digital they are skeptical human rights concerns will play a cardinal domiciled during a acme chiefly focused connected lowering tensions and stabilizing economical ties betwixt nan 2 powers.

Taiwan and exertion restrictions are besides expected to loom complete nan talks. Beijing continues to reason U.S. arms income and support for Taiwan, while Washington has tightened export controls targeting China’s precocious semiconductor and AI sectors.

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For President Donald Trump, nan acme offers an opportunity to showcase economical wins and negotiated engagement up of nan 2026 midterms (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)

Still, contempt nan escalating rivalry, neither Washington nor Beijing appears eager for a nonstop confrontation.

For Trump, nan acme offers an opportunity to showcase economical wins and negotiated engagement up of nan 2026 midterms. 

For Xi, analysts say, nan extremity is acold much measured: sphere stability, debar confrontation and proceed positioning China for a prolonged strategical title pinch nan United States.