Trump's China Visit: Expected Talks with Xi Jinping on Taiwan and Iran War

All eyes on Trump's China visit—AP reports on May 12 about U.S. President Donald Trump's official visit to China, where he will meet and discuss with Chinese President Xi Jinping between May 13-15. Amid expectations of major breakthroughs in resolving longstanding disputes between China and the U.S.—from technological competition to sensitive Taiwan matters that have strained international relations. Two weeks before the meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone call that bilateral relations remain generally stable, but Taiwan remains the greatest risk to the relationship. China has again signaled that Taiwan will be among the top priorities in discussions, with little hope of resolving this protracted issue. The meeting agenda may also include efforts to end the war with Iran, as China serves as an informal mediator. Henrietta Levin, senior researcher and China studies expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the U.S., stated: "Both sides agree that stability between the U.S. and China is important. Once you move past the stability question, what happens next in the relationship becomes more complicated. For that reason, there's very little likely to come from this meeting." China has openly criticized the U.S. and Israel regarding the war in Iran. Given China's close political and economic ties with Iran, many view China as an informal mediator capable of influencing the Iranian government. However, China has remained cautious and chosen not to become deeply involved. Levin also noted that China is unlikely to want to solve problems the U.S. created for itself in the Middle East. Days earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on China to pressure Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, stating that China's purchase of Iranian oil constitutes support for terrorism. "Let's see whether China will use diplomatic means and get Iran to open the strait. Iran is the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism, and China buys up to 90 percent of its energy from Iran, so China is essentially funding the world's largest terrorist state," Bessent said on Fox News.