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US-China summit: Will Xi and Trump stabilise ties?

Beyond Beijing and Washington, Asia-Pacific will watch the bilateral meeting closely

    • Donald Trump (left) and Xi Jinping at the Apec summit in Busan, South Korea, Oct 30, 2025. Trump's trip to China in May will be the first US presidential trip there since 2017.
    • Donald Trump (left) and Xi Jinping at the Apec summit in Busan, South Korea, Oct 30, 2025. Trump's trip to China in May will be the first US presidential trip there since 2017. PHOTO: REUTERS
    Published Mon, May 11, 2026 · 07:00 AM

    THE upcoming US-China summit in Beijing from May 14 to 15 will be the most important meeting in international relations so far in 2026.

    Expectations are being played down, yet the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will shape the tone of the world’s most critical bilateral relationship through the 2028 US elections.

    To be sure, economic and security fundamentals will drive the course of US-China ties in the medium term. However, personal chemistry between the Washington and Beijing teams remains a wildcard. Trump and Xi are preparing intensively for this first face-to-face meeting since last October in South Korea, and the first US presidential trip to China since 2017.