Delegations from China and the United States commenced economic and trade consultations in South Korea on Wednesday, according to the Xinhua News Agency, ahead of President Donald Trump’s arrival in China later today.
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The official Chinese news agency reported that the discussions are being held at Incheon Airport near Seoul, preceding the high-level talks between the American and Chinese leaders scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Beijing.
President Donald Trump departed for China on Tuesday for a two-day visit, set against the backdrop of the ongoing repercussions of the war in the Middle East. The President is expected to address multiple flashpoints with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, including the trade war and the issue of Taiwan.
Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing Wednesday evening, where he will stay until Friday. This marks the first visit by a U.S. President to China since Trump’s own visit during his first term in 2017.
A White House official noted that CEOs of major American corporations, including Elon Musk (Tesla and SpaceX), Tim Cook (Apple), and Kelly Ortberg (Boeing), are accompanying the President.
While trade dominates the agenda between the leaders of the world's two largest economies, tensions between the U.S. and Iran—and their global implications, particularly for China—will undoubtedly cast a shadow over the summit.
On Tuesday, Trump stated he would hold "lengthy talks" with his Chinese counterpart regarding the war in Iran. "We’re going to have a long talk about it. I think he’s been relatively helpful, if I’m going to be honest with you," Trump told reporters, adding that he does not believe the Chinese leader will be forced to help Washington resolve this conflict.
Trade War and Taiwan
During a regular press conference on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reaffirmed China’s "firm and unambiguous" opposition to arms sales.
China considers Taiwan a province that it has not yet unified with the mainland since the end of the Chinese Civil Order in 1949. While Beijing calls for a peaceful solution, it reserves the right to use force and opposes any action it perceives as undermining "reunification," which it views as inevitable and non-negotiable.
U.S. policy toward Taiwan relies on strong military support for the island without full recognition or overt support for independence. Since 1982, a key tenet of U.S. strategy has been to avoid "consulting" with Beijing regarding arms sales to Taiwan.
Trump has downplayed the risk of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, stating, "Xi knows I don't want that," while praising his "excellent" relationship with the Chinese President. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry indicated its desire to "strengthen cooperation" with the U.S. to develop "effective deterrence to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."
The U.S. and China were embroiled in a sharp trade war in 2025, characterized by heavy tariffs and numerous trade restrictions. Trump and Xi agreed to a temporary truce in October during a meeting in South Korea. The implications of this truce are expected to be discussed in Beijing. Prior to the summit, negotiators led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are scheduled to meet in Seoul.
U.S. Sanctions
The U.S. administration indicated that Trump intends to use the visit to pressure China into leveraging its influence over Iran to help resolve the Gulf crisis. China is a major economic and political partner of Iran and remains, by far, the largest importer of Iranian oil.
The Asian giant is directly affected by the U.S.-Iran confrontation and the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the analytics firm "Kpler," more than half of China’s seaborne crude oil imports originate from the Middle East, passing primarily through this strait.
On Monday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on twelve individuals and entities linked to Iran, accusing them of "facilitating" the sale of Iranian oil to China. Furthermore, on Friday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on several companies in China and Hong Kong for their alleged role in arming Iran and providing satellite imagery used against U.S. forces.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated his condemnation of the sanctions on Tuesday, stating they lack any legal basis. "Regarding the conflict with Iran, the most urgent matter is to do everything possible to prevent the resumption of fighting, rather than exploiting the conflict to tarnish China's reputation," he said.
Experts believe that Xi Jinping enters the summit from a position of relative strength compared to Donald Trump, who is entangled in the Middle East conflict and faces increasing pressure from the upcoming U.S. Congressional midterm elections in November. Nevertheless, analysts point out that a prolonged crisis in the Gulf is not in China's best interest. — (AFP)
