The president, seeking a lavish welcome in Beijing, delayed the summit to focus on the emerging Iran conflict. Two months later, the war still looms large.
May 7, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDT16 minutes ago
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
President Donald Trump is moving ahead with plans for a grand meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week, but uncertainty over the White House strategy for ending the Iran conflict along with tensions over Beijing’s support for Tehran suggest the two-month postponement of the summit did little to strengthen Washington’s hand.
