Trump-Xi tango: Musk, Jensen Huang join China trip as Washington pushes Beijing to ‘open up’ more

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:00]Mr. President, do you believe your visit to China will impact of international economy and price of oil?

[00:00:09]>> be a fantastic we're going to have a very good meeting. I spoke with President Xi.

[00:00:12]Uh we look forward we both look forward to the meeting. It's going to be great.

[00:00:15]>> And what's the message to the Chinese people as you embark on this summit?

[00:00:20]That we're going to have a great relationship for many many decades to come. Uh my relationship with President Xi is a fantastic one. We've always gotten along and we're doing very well with China and working with China has been very good. So we look forward to this. As you know, President Xi will be coming here toward the end of the year. So that'll be exciting. Mr. President, what is the goal of your trip to China?

[00:00:46]I think more than anything else there's the massive relationship with China.

[00:00:49]We're the two superpowers. We we're the strongest nation on earth in terms of military. Uh China is considered second. Who knows? I mean, who knows? But we are there's nobody even to come close. I have a great relationship with President Xi and I think it's going to remain that way. We have a lot of things to discuss. Uh I I wouldn't say Iran is one of them to be honest with you because we have Iran very much under control. We're either going to make a deal or they're going to be decimated. So one way or the other, we win. What about North But we're going to be talking about we're going to be talking with President Xi about a lot of different things. I would say more than anything else will be trade.

[00:01:52]>> [music] [music] >> I have a great relationship with President Xi, and I think it's going to remain that way. We have a lot of things to discuss.

[00:03:10]I I wouldn't say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control. We're either going to make a deal or they're going to be decimated. So, one way or the other, we win.

[00:03:23]We're going to be talking about We're going to be talking with President Xi about a lot of different things. I would say more than anything else will be trade.

[00:03:49]>> [music] [music] >> Although China and the US agreed to a temporary tariff truce last year, a lasting trade deal remains unresolved.

[00:04:36]Beijing is entering the talks with growing confidence backed by record export [music] numbers and expanding global trade ties amid the trade rift with the United States.

[00:04:46]These agendas on paper look fine, but let's talk about the elephants in the room that can derail the talks.

[00:04:58]During Trump's 2017 China visit, both sides announced massive trade agreements, but many of those deals were never fully implemented.

[00:05:06]Trade tensions escalated again after Trump imposed steep tariffs last year, which prompted China to halt US soybean purchases and restrict exports of key rare earth minerals.

[00:05:18]However, relations have slightly improved since both countries agreed to a temporary trade truce last fall with talks now underway to possibly extend it.

[00:05:32]First Venezuela and then Iran. The US targeted the two countries that sold China the most oil and energy.

[00:05:39]After Maduro's capture and the US seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers, Caracas halted oil shipments to China.

[00:05:47]Within a gap of two months, the US hit another ally of China, Iran, and continues to remain at war with it.

[00:05:53]China, with its vast oil reserves and diverse energy sources, has weathered the war's fallout better than many neighbors.

[00:06:00]However, as the war drags on, concerns are growing over China's energy security and supply chains.

[00:06:11]China has always been an unequivocal voice in supporting and aiding Iran in the war with the US.

[00:06:19]On May 8th, the US imposed new sanctions on more than a dozen individuals and entities in the Middle East, and China accused of helping sustain Iran's war effort.

[00:06:29]On May 11th, China said it firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions with no basis in international law.

[00:06:38]China stands firmly against illicit unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law or are the authorization of the US Security Council. The Chinese government always asks Chinese companies to operate in accordance with laws and regulations.

[00:06:52]We will firmly protect Chinese businesses' legitimate rights and interests. As to the situation involving Iran, we have made clear our solemn position on many occasions. The pressing priority now is to prevent by all means a relapse in fighting rather than to exploit the situation to smear other countries with association.

[00:07:13]A former US intelligence official has warned that China's ability to target undersea cables poses a major threat to the American economy.

[00:07:22]Taiwan has seen several undersea cable disruptions in recent years, some allegedly linked to Chinese vessels, fueling concerns that Beijing could use such tactics to pressure the US over Taiwan.

[00:07:35]Iran recently warned that undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz remain vulnerable, raising fears of possible attacks on critical digital infrastructure in one of the world's most strategic waterways.

[00:07:47]These subsea fiber optic cables carry nearly 99% of global internet traffic and facilitate nearly $10 trillion in daily financial transactions.

[00:07:58]They are crucial for international communications, cloud services, and data connectivity.

[00:08:04]Hence, the US needs to sit at the table with China.

[00:08:08]Additionally, Trump has rejected Iran's proposal to end the more than 2-month-long Middle East conflict and called Tehran's terms totally unacceptable just ahead of his Beijing visit.

[00:08:20]But the US is eyeing China to deliver the message to Iran to open Hormuz and end the war.

[00:08:27]I have a question on Iran-China relations.

[00:08:30]>> Okay. What's your reaction to Iranian foreign minister visit to China? Also, Beijing instructed its firms to ignore US sanctions. Could you also address that? Well, I'll I'll direct you to Treasury on that front. There are options that we have. If you ignore our sanctions, you're going to face secondary sanctions. And I don't have an announcement for you on that today, but we don't do these things, you know, for symbolic purposes.

[00:08:53]On the first point about the visit, it's fine. I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told, and that is that what you are doing in the straits is causing you to be globally isolated.

[00:09:01]You're the bad guy in this. You You You guys should not be blowing up ships. You should not be putting mines. You should not be holding hostage the global trying to hold hostage the global economy. I hope the Chinese bring whether it's done privately, but I hope it's done directly that that's the message they deliver to them. As I outlined earlier today, China is an export-driven economy. Okay, I'm not here to speak on behalf of what's in the best interest of China, but it's obvious. China is an export-driven economy. That means they depend on other countries to buy from them. Well, you can't buy from them if you can't ship it there, and you can't buy from them if your economy's being destroyed by what Iran is doing. So, it isn't Iran it is in China's interest that Iran stop closing the straits. It's harming China, as well.

[00:09:40]>> You've long been a leading voice on human rights in China, and so including religious persecution and forced organ harvesting. So, uh President Trump prepares to meet Xi Jinping next week. Do you expect human rights concerns to be on the table Well, we always raise those issues, and they remain true. And I think we've proven in some cases it's most effective to raise them in the appropriate setting, but we always raise those issues. They're important to us, among with others, of course. But, uh those issues remain prominent in our view and in our conversation about these things. Um and and we'll continue to raise them in the appropriate forums. Mr. Secretary, does the President intend to press Beijing on its Taiwan policy when he visits China next week?

[00:10:16]>> I'm sure Taiwan will be a topic of conversation. It always is. Uh as you know, we understand the the Chinese understand our position on that topic. We understand theirs. And I think both parties, okay, without, you know, getting ahead of myself for what will happen in the talks, but I think both countries understand that it is neither in one of our interests to see anything destabilize happen in that part of the world. We don't need any destabilizing events to occur with regards to Taiwan or anywhere in the Indo-Pacific. And I think but that's to the mutual benefit of both the United States and the Chinese. At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President Donald Trump is set to pay a state visit to China later this week.

[00:10:53]The two presidents will yet again meet each other in person since their Busan meeting last October. This will be the first visit to China by a US president in almost 9 years. President Xi will have in-depth exchanges of views with President Trump on major issues concerning China-US relations and world peace and development.

[00:11:11]Heads of state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance for China-US relations. China stands ready to work with the US to expand cooperation and manage differences in the spirit of equality, respect, and mutual benefit, and provide more stability and certainty for transforming an volatile world.

[00:11:30]>> Ah.