US President Donald Trump’s visit to China this week will be his seventh face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
It will also be the first visit by a US leader to China since 2017.
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The three-day summit between President Trump and Xi, which begins on Wednesday, is expected to focus on issues such as the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran, trade, and the status of Taiwan, among other issues.
Here’s a summary of past talks between the leaders of the world’s two most powerful countries:
April 2017, Palm Beach, USA
The two first met on April 6, 2017, just a few months into Trump’s first term, at Trump’s private resort, Mar-a-Lago.
At the time of the meeting, Trump had just dropped out of the presidential race, having been harshly critical of China’s trade practices and its impact on the U.S. economy.
Trump also angered China by responding to a congratulatory call from Taiwan’s then-President Tsai Ing-wen, breaking decades of diplomatic precedent set when the United States severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979.
During the Mar-a-Lago meeting, Trump appeared to have a personal relationship with Xi, saying the two countries had made “significant progress” toward improving U.S.-China relations.
But the summit was overshadowed by Trump’s decision to launch airstrikes against Syria, then led by Chinese-backed President Bashar al-Assad, during Xi’s visit.
July 2017, Hamburg, Germany
Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit on July 8, 2017, beginning a pattern of engagement that has seen the leaders repeatedly cross paths at major international gatherings.
The talks between the two sides focused on North Korea’s nuclear program and economic relations.
A month later, the Trump administration fired the first shot at the U.S.-China trade war by launching an investigation into allegations of theft of U.S. intellectual property.
By invoking Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the White House is laying the groundwork for imposing punitive tariffs on China.
November 2017, Beijing, China
President Trump landed in China on November 8, 2017, for a three-day visit with a delegation of American CEOs and business leaders.
President Trump’s itinerary included watching Peking Opera with Mr. and Mrs. Xi, visiting the Forbidden City and the Palace Museum, an official reception at the Great Hall of the People, a state dinner, and finally a personal meeting with the Chinese leader.
President Trump left China touting $250 million in “business deals” spanning energy, agriculture and technology, though some of the agreements were temporary or targeted to projects already underway.
Despite the positive tone of the summit, it did not prevent President Trump from imposing tariffs on China months later.
December 2018, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi held a dinner on December 1, 2018, in conjunction with the G20 summit.
A few months ago, the Trump administration imposed tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods and banned the use of Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE by U.S. government agencies, prompting Beijing to hit back with tariffs on $110 billion worth of U.S. goods.
Despite the tensions, the White House hailed the talks as “very successful” and the two sides agreed to begin negotiations on issues such as intellectual property protection and cyber theft.
June 2019 in Osaka
Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi met at the G20 summit on June 29, 2019.
During the meeting, the two leaders agreed on a number of measures to ease the conflict, including a suspension of new U.S. tariffs, freer trade negotiations, easing restrictions on Huawei, and China’s commitment to boost U.S. agricultural exports.
The United States and China are set to sign a “Phase 1” trade deal in the coming months, under which the U.S. government agrees to lift a number of tariffs and the Chinese government pledges to buy $200 billion worth of U.S. goods and services.
China ultimately failed to fulfill its purchase commitments within the required deadline, coinciding with the collapse of global trade due to the coronavirus pandemic.
October 2025, Busan, South Korea
Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi held their first meeting in six years on October 30, 2025, in conjunction with the 2025 APEC summit.
The two leaders held talks aimed at extending a temporary truce in the spiraling tariff war in which the United States and China have imposed tariffs of 145% and 125%, respectively.
Despite the trade ceasefire, the Trump administration imposed sectoral tariffs on China and restrictions on Chinese technology exports in the run-up to the summit, while Beijing tightened export controls on rare earth minerals.
After the meeting, President Trump and President Xi announced a one-year pause in the trade war.
Among other measures, the U.S. eased tariffs, while China agreed to lift some export restrictions on rare earths and resume purchases of U.S. agricultural exports.
