Trump to Meet Chinese President: Long history of meetings between the superpower leaders
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet during a three-day summit in China. Here’s a look at a long history of meetings between two of the world’s most powerful leaders.
Long history of encounters
US President Donald Trump is set to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a high-stakes summit. This marks the seventh face-to-face meeting between the two world leaders.
First meeting at Trump’s private resort
The first time the two met was in April 2017, just a few months into Trump’s presidency. The meeting, held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, came shortly after his presidential campaign, where he heavily criticised China’s trade practices. The two sides deemed the meeting positive, building a personal rapport and working towards US-China relations.
Second meeting at G20 summit
Xi and Trump met on the sidelines of the G20 in July 2017, focusing on North Korea’s nuclear programmes and economic ties. A month later, the Trump Administration made its first move in the US-China trade war by launching an investigation into the alleged theft of US intellectual property.
Official state visit to China
They met for a third time in the same year during Trump’s state visit to China. The visit saw the two leaders watch a Peking opera together and hold a private meeting. Trump boasted of a $250 million business deal after the meeting, but differences over trade imbalances remained.
Fourth meeting amid trade tensions
Xi and Trump held a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in December 2018 amid escalating trade tensions. The US administration had imposed huge tariffs on Chinese goods, resulting in tariffs on US goods by Beijing as retaliation. Despite the differences, the meeting was seen as successful with both sides agreeing to begin negotiations on issues like intellectual property protection and cybertheft.
Meet at G20, once again
Establishing a pattern, the two leaders again held a meeting at the G20 summit in 2019. The meeting resulted in agreements on de-escalation, halting further tariffs and a Chinese commitment to increase purchases of US agricultural products.
One-year truce
Xi and Trump met after six years during Trump’s second term in October 2025 on the sidelines of the 2025 APEC summit. The meeting came amid a spiralling trade war between the two countries, with tariffs reaching over 100 per cent. Both parties announced a “one-year truce” after the talks.
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