Trapped by Iran, Weakened Trump Heads to China to Meet Xi Jinping | GRAVITAS

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:20]US President Donald Trump is in a fix.

[00:00:23]He's unable to wrigle out of the Iran war with Thran refusing to agree to a deal on his terms. And on the domestic front, the road to the midterms appears tougher than before, full of hurdles, also with the fallout of the Epstein files and his approval ratings plunging to 36%. Now, amid all of this, a weakened Trump is visiting China from May 13 to 15. And this also marks the first visit to China by a US president in more than eight years. To begin with, Trump is set to meet his counterpart Xiinping. This will be on Thursday morning, followed by a visit to UNESCO heritage site, Temple of Heaven, and a state banquet in the evening. And on Friday, the leaders will be meeting again for tea and lunch before Trump returns to Washington. So that's what the trip will be looking like. Trade business will be featuring high on the agenda. Of course, at least 16 top CEOs, including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Boeing's leader, and General Electric's Larry Culp will also be a part of the Trump delegation. Amid the endeavor to boost bilateral ties, Taiwan also remains a major sticking point here. Although Trump paused weapon sales worth 11 billion US to Taiwan, announced in December last year, he is set to raise this issue with Xiinping. listening.

[00:01:43]>> Well, I'm going to have that discussion with President Xi. President Xi would like us not to uh and I'll have that discussion. That's one of the many things I'll be talking about.

[00:01:54]>> But Beijing has drawn a red line opposing the US bid to sell weapons to Taiwan. It also hit out at the Trump administration sanctions against three people and nine companies for aiding Iran's shipment of oil to China.

[00:02:08]During President Donald Trump's visit to China, the two heads of state will have an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning China US relations as well as world peace and development.

[00:02:18]China's opposition to the US sale of weapons to Taiwan is consistent and clear.

[00:02:25]>> At this juncture though, Iran is likely to dominate the talks. Being Iran's largest trading partner, which purchases roughly 90% of its crude oil, considering its high stakes in reopening the straight of hormones, US officials are reportedly pinning hopes on Beijing to put pressure on Iran to make concessions. And this also assumes significance at a time when the US president stated that the ceasefire is on a massive life support. As per reports, some Trump aids reckoned that he is seriously considering resumption of major combat operations. He also met with his national security team at the White House. Just hours before his departure, Trump also shared some images which reflect his state of mind perhaps on the Iran war. While one showed destruction of Iranian boats, another post shows drones being shot down by lasers.

[00:03:33]Thran though remains unfaced. It issued a dire warning to US. In fact, the Iranian parliamentary spokesman hinted that the country could enrich uranium up to 90% a level considered weapons grade if the US and Israel resume the war. So that's where Iran stands right now. And Trump's visit also holds significance from the economic perspective. Yuan is at its strongest level against the US dollar in 3 years. Last year itself, Beijing played its trump card to counter Trump's tariff war by restricting rare earth exports. While the US president initially threatened to levy 100% more tariffs on China, he announced a trade and economic deal with China in November 2025. And according to him, China promised to eliminate export controls on rare earth elements and other critical minerals, end its retaliation against US semiconductor manufacturers, and resume purchase of soybeans. Now, it's also worth noting here that Trump's last visit to China in November 2017 played out in a very different way. He had completed over a year in office back then, so that was a different context.

[00:04:43]Business deals worth $250 billion were inked, including a $ 37 billion US sale of 300 Boeing aircraft to China. That's not all. Trump was given a rare private tour of the Forbidden City by Xiinping.

[00:04:56]Ahead of Trump's visit, residents of China shared mixed feelings, while some expressed hope of a new economic deal between the two sides. Others perceive Trump's arrival as a sign of China's global clout.

[00:05:12]The fact Trump is coming proves that we are powerful. Trump is a snobbish person who changes his face whenever he wants.

[00:05:19]So we should respond to his changes with constancy.

[00:05:24]>> Now the outcome of the Trump Shri meeting is likely to have implications for India as well especially in the current geopolitical scenario. Amid this, Prime Minister Modi's powerful message standing out, recalling how India bravely dealt with the sanctions imposed after the Porran nuclear tests in 1998.

[00:05:44]The prime minister asserted that no power in the world can make India bow under pressure.

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