US President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, 2025. MARK SCHIEFELBEN/AP
Donald Trump is following Donald Trump. The last US president to have made an official visit to China, in 2017, the tycoon is set to repeat the experience from Wednesday, May 13, to Friday, May 15, at a time when the United States's credibility on the international stage has been undermined. The global energy and trade crisis sparked by the war in Iran led to the initial postponement of the visit, originally scheduled for late March, to the surprise of Beijing, which disapproves of protocol disruptions. China had resigned itself to not having to receive him in the midst of a conflict it condemns.
Yet, more than 10 weeks after the outbreak of hostilities, nothing has been resolved. Trump, who is eagerly anticipating the pomp and ceremony of the Chinese welcome in his honor, is making the trip as his administration seeks a way out of the Iran crisis. "The ceasefire is on massive life support," remarked Trump on Monday. Washington presents the visit as an opportunity to pressure China to use its relationship with Tehran. Ahead of the trip, the US announced sanctions against nine companies and citizens from mainland China and Hong Kong on May 8, accusing them of supplying components for Iranian missiles and satellite images used to target American interests around the Arabian-Persian Gulf.
