What To Expect From The Long-Awaited Meeting Between Chinese President Xi And Trump

TL;DR

Trump's Beijing summit with Xi will center on tariffs, tech export controls, and Taiwan, complicated by the ongoing Iran conflict.

Key Points

• 1.China's success metric is minimal drama and tariff relief. Beijing wants Trump to ease tariffs that have targeted China's economic growth model, loosen tech export controls, and receive assurances on Taiwan — the so-called 'Three T's' (tariffs, tech, Taiwan).
• 2.Trump is pushing for a landmark trade deal but faces an uphill battle. The president wants to sign a document settling U.S.-China trade disputes once and for all, viewing personal diplomacy as his edge — though analysts call a comprehensive deal 'unrealistic.'
• 3.The Iran war has added a volatile new dimension to the summit. The meeting was already postponed once due to the Iran conflict; the U.S. will press China on its military and economic support for Tehran, while China will demand continued access to Iranian oil and resolution of the Strait of Hormuz blockade.