Trump and Xi Jinping: Timeline of key meetings and major agreements
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Trump and Xi Jinping: Timeline of key meetings and major agreements Photograph: (Credit: AFP)
Here's the full timeline of key meetings, summits, and major agreements between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, tracking the defining diplomatic milestones in US-China relations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived for his first state visit to the United States in 11 years, meeting Donald Trump for the second time this year. Trade, AI, tariffs, rare earths, Taiwan and the Iran war top the agenda. Analysts expect a visit heavy on optics and symbolism but light on substantive progress, as commitments from May's Beijing summit remain unevenly fulfilled.
Mar-a-Lago to a trade war: 2017-2020
The leaders first met at Mar-a-Lago in April 2017, where they set up a 100-day trade plan. Trump made a state visit to Beijing that November, where companies announced deals worth about $250 billion. In December 2018, the two leaders met at the G20 in Buenos Aires and agreed to a 90-day tariff truce. They met again at the G20 in Osaka in June 2019 to restart stalled talks. In January 2020, the two sides signed the "Phase One" deal, in which China pledged to buy an additional $200 billion of American goods over two years.
Also read: 'Partners rather than rivals': Xi Jinping's first message after landing in US for Trump summit
Busan: October 2025
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Relations soured badly in 2025. US tariffs on Chinese imports hit 145% at the peak of the trade war, while Beijing's retaliatory duties reached 125%. The two leaders met in Busan, South Korea, on 30 October. China pledged to resume imports of soybeans and other US agricultural products, and both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation against fentanyl. The US said China agreed to buy at least 25 million metric tons of American soybeans in each of the following three years.
Beijing: May 2026
Trump visited China on May 14 and 15 for the first time in eight years. The summit produced purchase agreements, two new bilateral boards, and a shared commitment to "constructive strategic stability." The White House said China would buy at least $17 billion of U.S. agricultural goods annually through 2028, on top of its October 2025 soybean commitments. Both sides, however, have largely stuck to their own interpretations of those deals.
Also read: Trump welcomes Xi Jinping in rare airport gesture: Photos from Chinese President's arrival in US
Progress Since: Uneven
US and China have made uneven progress in fulfilling the trade commitments announced after the Beijing meeting. American officials have complained that China has not upheld its end of the bargain.
Washington: September 2026
Xi arrived in the United States on Wednesday (Sep 23) evening for his first state visit in 11 years, the second meeting of the two leaders this year. The agenda includes trade, investment, AI, the war with Iran, and Taiwan. Among the discussions is a reciprocal tariff reduction framework on products worth $30 billion or more. Experts expect the visit to be heavy on optics and symbolism but light on substantive progress.
Across nearly a decade of meetings, the pattern has been consistent: warm summits and truces that ease tensions without settling the underlying disputes over technology, trade balances, and Taiwan. Whether this week's talks break that pattern will be clear only once the outcomes are announced.
