US President Donald Trump on Friday projected confidence after fresh talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, claiming the two sides had struck “fantastic trade deals” and made progress on issues ranging from Iran to economic cooperation, even as tensions over Taiwan loomed large over the summit.
The high-profile meeting at Zhongnanhai and the Great Hall of the People came at a delicate moment in US-China ties, with both countries trying to steady relations strained by trade disputes, technology restrictions and growing military competition in the Indo-Pacific. While the public optics of the visit centred on ceremonial warmth and economic engagement, reports from multiple US media outlets suggested serious strategic differences surfaced behind closed doors.
“We made some fantastic trade deals great for both countries,” Trump said during the visit. “We discussed Iran and want that crisis to end. We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon and want the Straits open.”
Trump also praised Xi personally, saying: “He is a great man I respect greatly.”
#WATCH | US President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping for the second day in Beijing
US President Donald Trump says, “We made some fantastic trade deals great for both countries… He is a great man I respect greatly… We have settled a lot of problems that a lot… pic.twitter.com/qL4ze2YKnk
— ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2026
According to ANI, Trump and Xi spent part of the morning walking through the gardens of Zhongnanhai, the heavily guarded leadership compound of the Chinese Communist Party often described as China’s equivalent of the White House.
CNN reported that the two leaders first held a brief private interaction away from the media before continuing discussions later with smaller delegations. During the stroll, Trump admired the landscaped compound and remarked: “These are the most beautiful roses anyone has ever seen.”
Xi later told Trump that he would send rose seeds to him, according to CNN.
Taiwan warning dominates strategic talks
Despite the carefully managed symbolism, the summit was overshadowed by Beijing’s blunt warning on Taiwan.
According to reports by The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and The New York Times, Xi cautioned Trump that mishandling Taiwan could trigger “clashes and even conflicts” between the two powers.
“The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi reportedly told Trump during closed-door discussions.
Chinese officials framed the talks around “strategic stability”, while the White House focused publicly on trade and economic rebalancing.
Trump did not directly respond to Xi’s remarks on Taiwan in public appearances following the meeting.
Trade, Iran and AI discussions take centre stage
Trade negotiations remained central to the summit, with both sides signalling movement on economic cooperation.
According to The New York Times, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said China was expected to purchase billions of dollars worth of American agricultural goods annually over the next three years. Discussions were also held on tariff reductions involving roughly $30 billion in goods.
Trump separately claimed Xi had agreed to buy 200 Boeing aircraft and pledged not to provide military equipment to Iran, according to CNN and The New York Times.
Iran also featured prominently in the discussions.
“We want that crisis to end,” Trump said, adding that both countries agreed Iran “can never have a nuclear weapon”.
The leaders also discussed artificial intelligence cooperation. Reports said Washington and Beijing were exploring safeguards to ensure advanced AI systems do not reach “non-state actors”.
China courts US business leaders during summit
Alongside the political meetings, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met executives from major American companies accompanying Trump’s delegation, including representatives from Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, Boeing, Goldman Sachs, Qualcomm, Visa and BlackRock.
According to ANI, Li stressed that a “stable and predictable” China-US economic relationship was essential not only for both countries but also for the global economy.
“Strengthening cooperation will not only promote mutual benefit and win-win results but also contribute to global economic growth,” Li said.
He also assured foreign companies that China would continue expanding high-level opening-up and improving services for overseas investors.
Executives attending the meeting reportedly said the Xi-Trump talks had brought “certainty for the world economy”.
Rubio’s China sanctions issue quietly bypassed
The summit also drew attention for the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had been sanctioned by China in 2020 over his criticism of Beijing’s policies in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
According to The Washington Post, Chinese officials quietly adopted a different transliteration of Rubio’s surname in official records after he became secretary of state, allowing Beijing to avoid publicly reversing the sanctions while still accommodating his visit.
Rubio joined Trump during meetings alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Trump later announced that Xi would make a reciprocal visit to the United States on September 24.
“He will be walking back very impressed, like I am with China,” Trump said.