UNITED STATES PERSPECTIVE

Washington arrives in Beijing on May 13, 2026, in a paradoxical posture: that of a superpower which, despite $29 billion spent in ten weeks of war against Iran, has failed to break Tehran's military capability. According to intelligence cited by The Independent, 60% of Iranian missiles remain operational, while the Strait of Hormuz remains under pressure. It is in this context that Donald Trump headed to China — the first US president to visit Beijing in nearly nine years — accompanied by an unprecedented business delegation: Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Elon Musk of Tesla, Tim Cook of Apple, plus executives from BlackRock and Mastercard.

The White House framed the visit as a diplomatic and commercial win. Trump declared he would ask Xi to 'open' China to American firms, and expects 'great things'. But the reality of the balance of power is more nuanced. Analysts cited by the National Post estimate that 'Xi enters the summit feeling confident he has solved Trump' and that Washington needs this summit more than Beijing. The presence of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — first since Nixon in 1972 — signals that military questions, including arms sales to Taiwan, figure prominently.

On Iran, Trump declared before departure that he does not 'think about Americans' financial situation' when deciding to continue the war, and that stopping Iran's nuclear program overrides economic pain. But inflation has jumped to 3.7-3.8% — a three-year high — and pressure is mounting.