Trump meets Xi in Beijing

What's happened

President Donald Trump has met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing for two days of talks over trade, Taiwan, Iran and energy. The leaders have discussed reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Chinas oil purchases from Iran and military assistance; the White House has said Xi pledged not to send Iran military equipment.

What's behind the headline?

What happened

• President Trump has held face-to-face talks with President Xi in Beijing on May 14-15, 2026, covering trade, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and the Iran conflict.
• The White House has said the two leaders have agreed the Strait of Hormuz should be open and that Xi opposed militarisation or tolls on the waterway.
• Trump has said Xi committed not to supply Iran with military equipment and expressed interest in buying more US oil to reduce dependence on the strait.

Why this matters

• China is the main buyer of Iranian oil; disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz have cut shipments and pushed energy prices higher, which is hurting Chinas economy and creating a US political problem ahead of midterms.
• A Chinese pledge not to arm Iran will reduce Tehrans external support options and will increase pressure on Iran to agree terms the US is demanding.
• Chinese purchases of more US oil will shift global energy flows and will lessen Beijings leverage from Gulf deliveries.

Likely outcomes

• Xi's public assurance on avoiding militarisation of the strait and not supplying weapons to Iran will make it easier for Washington to argue for a diplomatic path to reopen shipping; this will increase diplomatic pressure on Tehran.
• China will protect its commercial ties with Iran while balancing damage to its economy; Beijing will continue to block unilateral sanctions and will push for negotiated ceasefire language.
• Talks on trade, rare earths and tech will continue but will not produce immediate, sweeping agreements; the summit will stabilise ties short-term and will set the stage for reciprocal visits.

What to watch next

• Whether China follows the pledge with concrete actions: stopping transfers flagged by US Treasury sanctions and using diplomatic leverage on Tehran.
• Any formal joint statement or written commitments on oil purchases or military non-transfer that will be verifiable.
• How Tehran responds to this diplomatic pressure and whether the Strait of Hormuz reopens to commercial traffic.

How we got here

Trump has arrived in Beijing on 13 May 2026 with a large US business delegation. The visit has been scheduled for two days of high-level meetings and a state banquet, and comes as an ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran is disrupting oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

Our analysis

- Reuters reports that after talks "the White House said the leaders had agreed that the strait should be open" and quoted Trump saying Xi "said hes not going to give military equipment" to Iran (Reuters, 15 May 2026). Reuters also quoted Trump telling Fox News that securing Iran's enriched uranium stockpile was mainly a "public relations" matter (Reuters, 15 May 2026). - Multiple outlets covered the timing and entourage: The Independent and SBS reported Trumps arrival on 13 May 2026 and listed high-profile executives travelling with him, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook (The Independent, 13 May 2026; SBS, 12 May 2026). Those pieces emphasised the summit agenda: trade, tariffs, Taiwan, Iran, AI and critical minerals. - Reuters and other outlets outlined Chinas energy exposure: Antoni Slodkowski at Reuters noted China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil and that Beijing has pushed back against US secondary sanctions, saying its Ministry of Commerce ordered companies not to comply (Reuters, 11-12 May 2026). Reuters also reported Beijings foreign ministry saying the conflict "should never have happened" and calling for cessation of hostilities. - Reporting divergence: US sources (White House readouts and Trump interviews quoted in Reuters) emphasise Xis assurances to Washington — including a pledge not to militarise the strait or arm Iran — while Chinese statements carried by Reuters and Xinhua stress calls for a "complete cessation of hostilities" and defend Irans right to peaceful nuclear energy. Read Reuters for the White Houses framing; read Xinhua and Chinas foreign ministry comments for Beijings emphasis on diplomacy and opposition to unilateral sanctions. - On Iran diplomacy: coverage from the New York Times, Reuters and AP has noted that China hosted Irans foreign minister earlier in May and has been quietly pressing for negotiations; those accounts show Beijing is balancing mediation with protection of its energy supplies. Readers should consult the Reuters White House readout and the Ch

Go deeper

• What concrete steps will China take to stop military transfers to Iran?
• Will the Strait of Hormuz reopen to commercial shipping and when?
• Will the summit produce a written US-China statement on oil purchases or sanctions enforcement?

More on these topics

• Donald Trump - 45th and 47th U.S. President

  Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.

• Xi Jinping - General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party

  Xi Jinping is a Chinese politician serving as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China, president of the People's Republic of China, and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

• Iran - Country in the Middle East

  Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan a

• Strait of Hormuz - Strait

  The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points.

• Marco Rubio - United States Senator

  Marco Antonio Rubio is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the senior United States Senator from Florida. A Republican, Rubio previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.

• Wang Yi - Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China

  Wang Yi is a Chinese diplomat and politician. He formerly served as China's Vice Foreign Minister, Ambassador to Japan and Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office. He has served as the Foreign Minister since March 2013 and a State Councilor since March 2018

• Beijing - Capital of China

  Beijing, alternatively romanized as Peking, is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's most populous capital city, with over 21 million residents within an administrative area of 16,410.5 km².

• Elon Musk - CEO of SpaceX

  Elon Reeve Musk FRS is an engineer, industrial designer, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, CEO, CTO and chief designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-foun

• People's Republic of China - Country in East Asia

  China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.

• Tim Cook - Chief Executive Officer of Apple

  Timothy Donald Cook is an American business executive, philanthropist and industrial engineer. Cook is the chief executive officer of Apple Inc., and previously served as the company's chief operating officer under its cofounder Steve Jobs.

• Taiwan

  Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. Neighbouring countries include the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south.

• Pete Hegseth - United States Secretary of War

  Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American government official and former television personality who has served since 2025 as the 29th United States secretary of defense. Hegseth studied politics at Princeton University, where he was the publi

• Scott Bessent - Investor and philanthropist

  Scott K. H. Bessent is an American hedge fund manager. He is the founder of Key Square Group, a global macro investment firm, and worked as a financier for George Soros. Bessent has been a major fundraiser and donor for Donald Trump. He was an economic ad

• United States - Country in North America

  The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.

• Dan Caine - U.S. Air Force general (born 1968)

  John Daniel "Razin" Caine (born 1968) is an American general and venture capitalist who became the 22nd chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2025. He served as the associate director for military affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency from 2021...