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Trump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts

As US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to sit down in the coming weeks, negotiations on deliverables and scheduling have accelerated,…

By Samantha Johnson / April 14, 2026

As US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to sit down in the coming weeks, negotiations on deliverables and scheduling have accelerated, including a possible visit to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven and a military parade, according to several people familiar with the planning process.

The lead-up for such a consequential summit has been compressed and rather disjointed given the Middle East war and Trump’s preference for making last-minute decisions based on his “gut”.

“This will be so interesting,” said one person knowledgeable about planning details. “You have the most predictable president and the least predictable president. God knows what will come out.”

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Even the usual meetings between US cabinet secretaries and their Chinese counterparts may be shelved, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said earlier this month, just after the White House said they would take place.

Arrangements have built on a US working-level team that travelled to Beijing and a Chinese team that travelled to Washington in early March, shortly before the White House rescheduled the summit, citing the war, sources said.

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“All I can say is President Trump’s decision to delay had been properly communicated to Beijing,” said a diplomatic source who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

US says Trump’s China visit delayed until May because of Iran conflict

US says Trump’s China visit delayed until May because of Iran conflict

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