Trump-Xi summit kicks off as Beijing prepares for US president's evening arrival
Just hours before President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing, the Chinese government finalised preparations on security and the economic agenda. The talks will focus on the Iran war, Taiwan, tariffs and critical minerals.
China's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Trump will land in Beijing in the evening and hold one-on-one talks with Xi Jinping on Saturday. Delegations conducted last-minute meetings to finalise pre-negotiation positions.
At the top of the agenda are US-China tariffs, semiconductor export rules and the supply of rare-earth elements. Trump's accompanying CEO delegation includes Elon Musk and Jensen Huang.
Analysts say the oil-supply concerns from the Iran war give the talks an additional dimension. Taiwan arms sales and the Jimmy Lai case in Hong Kong may also be raised. Beijing is expected to repeat its objections over US military deployments in the Philippines and Japan.
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