Reid Standish

Trade tensions, Taiwan, and rare earth exports are expected to dominate talks, even as the war in Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz raise the stakes for the Beijing summit.

The war and its global ripple effects are a through line influencing many of the issues that the two leaders will discuss in Beijing, from rare earth minerals to Taiwan.

Despite warm rhetoric and ceremonial pageantry, analysts say strategic rivalry between the United States and China is set to endure.

Xi Warns On Taiwan As Trump Seeks Trade Progress During Beijing Summit

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi entered talks in Beijing confronting the growing risks that the conflict in Iran poses to global markets and their uneasy relationship.

The summit follows Xi Jinping's meeting with US President Donald Trump and is expected to cover future energy cooperation, Ukraine, and the war in Iran.

A two-week cease-fire between the US and Iran may ease tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, but after five weeks of disruption, China is already reshaping its energy strategy. Beijing is turning to Moscow, and a long-stalled pipeline could be the next big move.

The Kremlin hopes turmoil in the Middle East will strengthen its case for deeper energy ties with China as Russia grows more dependent on Beijing.

Putin Gets Show Of Unity, But No New Pipeline Deal In Beijing Summit

Data compiled by RFE/RL reveals how a surge in high-level diplomacy, economic engagement, and regional initiatives has elevated Beijing from a neighboring power to Central Asia’s leading economic partner.