Trump to Meet Xi Jinping in China This Week, Set to Pressure on Iran Issue

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, US President Donald J. Trump will undertake a state visit to China from 13 to 15 May,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reported by AFP and Al Jazeera on Monday (11 May 2026). The visit is at the invitation of Xi Jinping.

White House Deputy Chief Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated that the opening ceremony and meetings will take place on Thursday morning and conclude on Friday. Meanwhile, the US plans to host the Chinese leader during a reciprocal visit later this year.

Kelly remarked that Trump’s visit on Thursday will hold “extraordinary symbolic significance” and focus on “rebalancing relations with China and prioritising reciprocity and fairness to restore American economic independence”.

Trump’s visit, originally scheduled for earlier this year, was postponed in March due to the US-Israel war in Iran.

A senior administration official told the media anonymously that Trump may “apply pressure” to China regarding Iran in areas such as oil sales and purchases of military-civilian goods that could have dual-use functions by Tehran.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused China last week of “funding” Iran.

“Iran is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, and China has bought 90 per cent of their energy, so they are funding the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism,” Bessent told Fox News.

It is known that Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israel attacks, restricting passage through the main global energy transport route.

China has expressed its desire to end the war and hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi last week. At the same time, Beijing has refused to recognise Washington’s “unilateral” sanctions on Iran’s oil sector.

The disruptions arising from the war have affected the global economy, with Asian countries dependent on imports from the Middle East being particularly hard-hit.