Trump downplays US-Iran rift as he heads to Beijing to meet Xi | News about Xi Jinping

Donald Trump is giving mixed messages on the popularity of the Iran war in the upcoming negotiations, with his administration emphasizing trade.

United States President Donald Trump will leave the White House for Beijing, where he will to meet and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Trump spoke briefly to reporters Tuesday as he boarded the Marine One helicopter. He was then due to arrive in China on Air Force One on Wednesday, ahead of meetings on Thursday and Friday.

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US officials have taken pains in recent days to downplay the extent to which the US-Israel conflict over Iran will loom large during Trump’s visit.

Beijing has made its opposition to the war clear, at times pushing behind its ally Iran. However, it has largely avoided being drawn into the controversy.

In recent days, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have increased their call for China to use its power to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil flowed before the war.

But Trump also gave conflicting messages on Tuesday about the extent of the war that will take place during his meetings with China.

“We’re going to have a long conversation about this. I think he’s been good, to be honest with you,” Trump said of his plans to discuss the dispute — and how it has changed global oil markets — with Xi.

A few minutes later, he added: “We have a lot to discuss, I can’t say that Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because Iran is under control.”

He said: “I don’t think we need any help with Iran.”

Business to be great

The upcoming meetings will be the first face-to-face talks between the two world leaders great wealth They met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025.

This is Trump’s second visit to China as president, and the first since his second term began on January 20, 2025. Xi is expected to visit the US later this year.

After the war, US officials emphasized that trade will be the top topic to be discussed, with Trump looking for a list of trade deals and agreements.

Underscoring this, Mr. Trump invited several US leaders to accompany him on the trip, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, former chairman of Mr. Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Both sides are expected to seek to avoid a return to the tariff war that defined Trump’s early days in office, which saw Trump impose tariffs on Chinese goods at 145 percent, while China announced further tightening of rare global controls that could hurt US companies.

The two sides reached a tentative agreement in October last year.

China’s continued support for Iran’s nuclear program and defense of Tehran’s nuclear program have also threatened to strain relations.

Last month, Trump threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on China after Beijing planned to ship new defense equipment to Iran. He later dropped the threat, saying he had received written assurances from Xi that he would not arm Tehran.

A few days later, Trump said that the US military had seized a Chinese submarine carrying a “gift” from Iran. Neither side released details about what happened.

Xi is also expected to push Trump on US arms sales to Taiwan, an autonomous island that China claims as its own.