Trump and Xi Begin Day 2 Talks in Beijing

2026-05-15

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping began a second day of talks in Beijing on the 15th. They held a small-group meeting at Zhongnanhai, where the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party has its offices, and are also expected to continue discussions over a working lunch.

Meeting at Zhongnanhai

According to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, the two leaders met face to face at Zhongnanhai. At the start, Trump said of the Iran situation that he had "a very similar feeling about how to bring it to an end," adding, "We want them to end it."

Focus of the talks

The discussions are expected to focus mainly on trade and Taiwan, following the previous day’s talks on the 14th. The key point is whether Trump will make concessions on Taiwan in return for China’s purchases of U.S. products and other gains. Trump is set to return home immediately after the meeting.

On the morning of the 15th, Trump posted on his social media that Xi had described the United States at the previous day’s meeting as "a country that is probably in decline." He then claimed, "What he was referring to was the four years of the Biden administration, and that is 100% correct." He also wrote that under Trump’s second administration, the United States has become "the most dynamic country in the world," and said Xi "congratulated me on achieving so many astonishing successes in a short period of time."

Handling of the Taiwan issue

At the start of the leaders’ summit on the 14th, Xi referred to the "Thucydides Trap," which describes clashes between great powers and rising powers, and said, "Can we create a new paradigm for major power relations?" He also stressed the importance of U.S.-China cooperation.

Meanwhile, according to China’s Foreign Ministry, Xi warned on the 14th that on Taiwan, "if it cannot be handled properly, the two countries will fall into confrontation and conflict, pushing China-U.S. relations into an extremely dangerous situation." In response, Taiwan was not included in the account of the meeting given to reporters by a U.S. White House official. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also told NBC that it "was not a major topic," indicating that U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed.

Future summit meetings

Trump and Xi may hold another face-to-face discussion on the 15th as well. Trump has not said whether Taiwan was discussed, but before visiting China he suggested that Xi would raise U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

At a dinner on the 14th, Trump said he would invite Xi and his wife to the White House on September 24. The U.S. government is also exploring the possibility of the two leaders meeting up to four times in 2026.

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