Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, armed with a delegation of tech CEOs and a blasé attitude toward the economic well-being of the very people who elected him.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has asked Trump to bring up ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during the summit. “We are in constant contact with our American partners. We are thankful and we are expecting that the issue of ending of the Russian war against Ukraine will be raised now as well,” Zelenskyy said in a speech in Romania, apparently hoping Xi might be a better listener than Trump.
The Guardian’s picture editor has helpfully compiled a gallery of previous US presidential visits to China, from Nixon to Obama, featuring tea at the Forbidden City and Great Wall tours - a visual reminder that diplomacy once involved less chaos.
Top Chinese and US negotiators held talks in South Korea on resolving trade friction ahead of the summit, according to Chinese state media. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng conducted what CCTV called “candid, in-depth, and constructive exchanges,” which is diplomatic code for “we didn’t agree on much.” Trump and Xi agreed on a year-long trade truce last October and are expected to expand on it, assuming they can find a moment between discussing Iran.
Back in the US, a Democratic primary challenger in Nebraska won her race with the explicit intention of dropping out to clear the way for an independent candidate. Cindy Burbank beat William Forbes - a pastor whom Democrats suspect is a Republican plant - and plans to step aside so Dan Osborn can take on Republican Senator Pete Ricketts in November. In the state’s second congressional district, state Senator John Cavanaugh and Denise Powell are locked in a race too close to call, because apparently Nebraska enjoys suspense.
Accompanying Trump to Beijing are tech leaders including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, hoping to secure business deals. Musk’s presence signals a reconciliation after he quit Trump’s cost-cutting “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge) following a spat over federal spending. Trump posted on Truth Social that he’ll ask Xi to “open up” China so these “brilliant people can work their magic,” promising to make it his “very first request.” Because nothing says diplomacy like demanding a foreign leader roll out the red carpet for your billionaire buddies.
Before departing, Trump told reporters he doesn’t consider the economic impact of the Iran war on Americans. “Not even a little bit,” he said when asked if Americans’ financial situations motivated him to reach a deal. “The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran - they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.” This is presumably the kind of leadership his supporters find inspiring.
US inflation rose to 3.8% in April, the highest since 2023, driven by Middle East conflict-fueled energy prices. Gas prices have surged past $4.50 a gallon since the war began on February 28, and the Strait of Hormuz - carrying about a fifth of global oil supplies - remains effectively shut. Trump attempted to reassure Americans by insisting his policies “are working incredibly” and promising that when the war ends, oil prices will drop and the stock market will “go through the roof.” He also predicted a “golden age like we’ve ever seen before,” which sounds great if you ignore the golden age of inflation we’re apparently already in.
Trump has sought China’s help to convince Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but told reporters he won’t “need any help with Iran” and the war will be won “one way or the other - peacefully or otherwise.” So either way, Americans can look forward to more of that golden age.