All eyes on Trump-Xi summit as expectations remain low

With a broad agenda spanning trade, Taiwan, Iran, and AI, both sides prepare for talks in Beijing with modest expectations

Welcome back to What’s Happening in China, your weekly China brief.

While the Chinese side hasn’t confirmed it yet (not unusual), all signs point to the Trump–Xi two-day summit in Beijing, scheduled for May 14–15, going ahead, with U.S. officials and security vehicles spotted recently in the capital in preparation for the event.

On trade, it’s likely the two sides will announce new commercial deals, with the U.S. reportedly bringing a smaller CEO delegation than in 2017, including CEOs from Nvidia, Apple, Exxon, and Boeing, according to Semafor. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has also mentioned creating a “Board of Trade” as a tool to help manage bilateral trade.

Taiwan—“I think both countries understand that it is in neither one of our interests to see anything destabiliz(ing) happen in that part of the world,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week—will be on the agenda. The Iran war—the U.S. announced new sanctions today on Chinese companies for helping Tehran—an…