China-U.S. Diplomatic Games: Will Trump and Xi Jinping Meet in Beijing?
Official Beijing made an unexpected move by inviting former U.S.
President Donald Trump to a high-level summit with China’s leader Xi Jinping.
However, Washington has yet to respond officially.
The reason lies in ongoing disagreements between the two nations concerning trade policies, control over fentanyl flows, and other strategic issues, complicating the organization of any high-level meetings.
Reports from the Financial Times highlight that negotiations between Washington and Beijing are ongoing and will likely determine the future format of the possible encounter.
On Sunday, September 14, a fourth round of negotiations will take place in Madrid between U.S.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
This meeting could serve as a prelude to Trump’s potential visit to Beijing, planned either before the APEC forum scheduled for October 31 in South Korea or as part of high-level preparations.
Current and former officials emphasize that progress in US-China talks remains limited, decreasing the likelihood of a major summit in Beijing.
The primary obstacle remains China’s reluctance to take concrete steps to curb the export of chemicals used to produce deadly fentanyl, as the U.S.
is demanding results before lifting sanctions.
Experts from institutions like Brookings suggest that without significant breakthroughs, hopes for a large-scale summit diminish, and it is more probable that the countries will meet at APEC with some announced achievements, rather than a comprehensive trade agreement.
Analysts note that Trump favors high-profile visits but is unlikely to travel to Beijing without achieving specific results.
Former White House officials believe Trump will prefer a summit in Beijing to counter recent criticisms of his dealings with authoritarian leaders like Putin and Kim.
Ultimately, any decision depends on last-minute political calculations, as high stakes and global instability influence the timing.
China, on its part, demonstrates readiness to host a summit on short notice if Trump decides to attend, although current conditions require Washington to first fulfill commitments related to fentanyl controls.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s upcoming visit to the UN General Assembly in New York could further open channels for high-level dialogue, but sudden moves against China risk canceling upcoming trips by U.S.
officials.
The situation remains uncertain, with geopolitical tensions and trade frictions threatening the continuity of planned diplomatic engagements.