Washington: US President Donald Trump is set to press Chinese leader Xi Jinping over Beijing’s role in the Iran war when he visits Beijing this week, a senior administration official said Sunday, as Trump seeks to forge a deal to end the Middle East conflict, AFP reported.
Trade, tariffs, and artificial intelligence are also expected to feature prominently during the visit, scheduled from Wednesday to Friday, when Trump will journey to Beijing’s iconic Temple of Heaven, according to the White House.
“I would expect the president to apply pressure” over Iran, the official told reporters on a conference call, adding that Trump has raised the issue repeatedly in past phone conversations with his Chinese counterpart. “I would expect the president to apply pressure” over Iran, the official reiterated, underscoring the continuity of Washington’s messaging.
The official said Trump has brought up Chinese revenue for Iran and Russia through oil sales “multiple times” with Xi, as well as the export of military‑civilian dual‑use goods that can support Tehran’s war‑fighting capacity. “I expect that conversation to continue,” the official added, signaling that the US intends to keep Iran at the center of the Beijing agenda.
Recent US sanctions on China over its involvement in the Iran war are also likely to come up during the discussions, the official noted, as Washington seeks to translate its economic tools into concrete diplomatic leverage.
Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening for the visit, which he originally postponed in March due to the intensifying Iran war, Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told reporters. The delay underscored how the Middle East conflict has shadowed the broader US–China relationship, even as both sides seek to keep the door open for high‑level dialogue.
There will be a formal welcome ceremony and a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday morning, followed by a visit to the Temple of Heaven that afternoon and a state banquet in the evening, Kelly said. Trump and Xi are then scheduled to hold a bilateral tea and working lunch on Friday before the US president returns to Washington.
Kelly said Trump’s visit would focus on “rebalancing the relationship with China and prioritizing reciprocity and fairness to restore American economic independence.” The phrasing reflects the administration’s emphasis on what it describes as a more balanced, rules‑based engagement with Beijing after years of deep integration and perceived asymmetries.
“This will be a visit of tremendous symbolic significance,” said Kelly, highlighting the optics of the first US presidential visit to Beijing since the start of the Iran war and the broader deterioration in cross‑Pacific ties. “But of course, President Trump never travels for symbolism alone. The American people can expect the president to deliver more good deals on behalf of our country,” she added, framing the trip as both a diplomatic gesture and a transactional mission.
The United States and China will also explore extending a year‑long trade truce the two leaders agreed in October last year, amid persistent tensions over Trump’s sweeping tariffs and broader concerns about technology competition and national security. Analysts say any extension would likely come with conditions, as Washington seeks to tie concessions in trade to progress on non‑proliferation, cyber conduct, and Beijing’s support for countries like Iran.
