appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Frank Chen

US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In this series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we weigh the odds of a major deal for Boeing aircraft after nearly a decade without a significant order from Chinese airlines.
Shanghai Airlines was flying high in 2018.
One year after US President Donald Trump’s first visit to Beijing, the China Eastern Airlines subsidiary had expanded its fleet of Boeing jets to 100 with its first state-of-the-art 787 Dreamliner widebody, signalling ambitions to spread its wings across the globe.
But its expansion was thrown into a tailspin soon after by a perfect storm: Covid-19, safety issues with the US planemaker’s 737 Max series and, more consequentially, cooling ties between Beijing and Washington.
Now, only 87 ageing planes fly with Shanghai Airlines livery. The carrier remains hamstrung by China’s extended pause on major Boeing purchases, a freeze that has lasted nearly a decade.
That turbulence has also found its way home. In North Charleston, South Carolina, the production base for the 787 and a Trump election stronghold, workers reckon with the economic cost of the prolonged purchase drought and dream of a China trade breakthrough.
This month, Trump is scheduled to make his second trip to China, his first since winning a second term. Could it result in a lift for Shanghai Airlines and new deals for the American planemaker?
Trump received a “Boeing gift” on his first visit – a US$37 billion deal to buy 300 of the manufacturer’s aircraft – that later stalled.
Analysts and industry insiders said whether he will iron out a similar deal during his forthcoming visit remains up in the air, but they agree attempts to strike an agreement are being made, with talks being held on both sides of the Pacific.
US outlet Semafor reported on Thursday that Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg was among the business heavyweights the White House planned to invite on next week’s trip to China. Separate China-based sources told the South China Morning Post that Boeing’s staff in China could be preparing for a visit by “top brass” from the planemaker’s US headquarters, and that some executives may also visit Shanghai.
Some say both countries want to insulate any orders from geopolitical turbulence, with China unlikely to attach too many strings, but there are other variables to consider.

“Signs suggest negotiations are advanced but not yet finalised,” said American business executive Benjamin Kinnas, a former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai’s financial services committee. A frequent flier with Shanghai Airlines during his time in the city, he now lives near Boeing’s North Charleston plant.
“[This is] typical for orders of this scale that tend to align with high-level political deal-making as much as commercial benefits.”
An American source with knowledge of ongoing talks said the short-term outlook was hazy and that a deal might go down to the wire.
“[A deal] will likely happen, but be a last-minute decision and crunching out of numbers and such,” he said. “The stakes for US commercial interests are too high for Trump to ignore.
“But no May deal is not mayday for Boeing. If May is a missed opportunity, a deal may happen by year’s end, when Trump and [President Xi Jinping] may meet again.”
The source named two intergovernmental forums, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Group of 20, as possible venues for a later meeting.
One of the clearest signals yet about the likelihood of a deal came from Washington’s top trade negotiator.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told Bloomberg in March that the US wanted to “sell planes to China”, alongside medical devices, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products, to significantly reduce its bilateral trade deficit by the end of the year.
Leverage or flexibility?
Kinnas said Beijing had previously used aircraft purchases to signal goodwill, and that such deals were “intended to balance trade flows”, especially as Boeing was one of America’s largest exporters.
“There is also the possibility that any order may be treated as Beijing’s leverage, potentially influencing issues such as tariffs or export controls,” he said, while adding that he believed an understanding of mutual benefits would outweigh such considerations, as it had done in 2017.
Both have bigger leverages … aircraft can be spared
Cameron Johnson, Tidal Wave Solutions
China did not seek to extract significant, explicit concessions nine years ago, with the Boeing deal framed instead as a move to build rapport with Trump as part of a US$250 billion package.
Kinnas said Beijing could exhibit similar goodwill this month and allow for significant flexibility, a view echoed by a source in China familiar with negotiation arrangements.
The source said China was allowing airlines to talk to Boeing individually, marking a departure from the past practice of bundling jet deals together in bulk negotiations.
“When you are not going to interfere too much, you allow them the autonomy to talk to Boeing on their own,” the source said, adding that could mean new purchases might be spread out.
“Instead of an all-in-one-go deal, like the one in 2017, this time, purchases may be announced by individual carriers, not deliberately timed to coincide with Trump’s visit for diplomatic effect.”
Cameron Johnson, a senior partner at Shanghai-based Tidal Wave Solutions who specialises in supply chains, said such flexibility indicated both countries realised they had other, more powerful cards in trade negotiations than deals for planes.
“Both have bigger leverages: chips, rare earths, export controls … the Iran war could also be a talking point … aircraft can be spared,” he said.
Boeing’s business in China was battered after Trump unleashed sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” in April last year, prompting Beijing to retaliate. With tariffs climbing to triple-digit levels, meaning a de facto embargo, company CEO Ortberg admitted that Chinese carriers had rejected deliveries.
The planemaker’s fortunes have revived somewhat since the brokering of a tariff truce in May last year and its reinforcement in October after Trump and Xi met in South Korea.
As the dust of the tariff war settled, stakeholders revived engagement.


In July, the South China Morning Post reported that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) had begun surveying airlines’ needs for foreign jets, and CAAC director Song Zhiyong met Boeing senior vice-president Brendan Nelson the same month.
In September, US lawmaker Adam Smith, from Boeing’s home state of Washington, hinted at a deal when he led a rare bipartisan visit to China.
US Ambassador to China David Perdue said the same month that a deal was “very important to the president”, and he confirmed that progress was being made when he addressed a closed-door meeting in Hong Kong in January.
And in December, Chen Chao, director of the Ministry of Commerce’s America and Oceania division, had a meeting with new Boeing China president Landon Loomis. A fluent Mandarin speaker, Loomis is a former adviser to Trump’s previous vice-president Mike Pence.
Pent-up demand, concerns and Comac
China has several operators with Boeing-only fleets and its aviation sector, the world’s second largest, used to account for around a quarter of the company’s global sales.
Shanghai Airlines has both 737s and 787s, with an average service age of more than 10 years, while Shandong Airlines operates 135 of the narrowbody 737s and China United Airlines has 57. Low-cost carrier 9 Air and Donghai Airlines each have more than 20 of the smaller craft.
Many have put off refreshing their old fleets, making a new deal all the more crucial.
As a stopgap measure, Shandong Airlines, a subsidiary of flag carrier Air China, announced plans in March to lease 10 737s, some of them used, in a 2.88 billion yuan (US$421 million) deal with domestic firms.
But independent aviation analyst Brian Yang Bo said that while their demand was tangible, so too were China’s safety concerns.
“These carriers are known for a long-standing preference for Boeing,” he said. “Still, the CAAC and airlines also want strong safety, quality and delivery assurances, especially for the 737, a workhorse model for Chinese operators, so they can move the order forward with conviction.”
Without the administration’s support, I don’t think we’ll see any near-term large orders out of China
Kelly Ortberg, Boeing CEO
Shortly after a second fatal crash of a 737 Max in March 2019, China was among the first countries to ground the aircraft. It was also one of the last to allow the jet back into the air, as Boeing lurched from one crisis to another.
A string of other incidents, from a door plug blowout to fuselage gaps, also dented passengers’ confidence.
A sector-wide supply chain crunch that has delayed Boeing production has further complicated purchase calculations.
“If an airline ordered a new 737 today, they likely wouldn’t see it until the early 2030s … who has the patience?” Yang asked. “Even if a deal is inked, it’s never an immediate relief for China’s Boeing-only operators and some are reviewing fleet diversification options.”
Those concerns may have led to Beijing delaying the deal-making process.
“While there is no explicit evidence of a formal quid pro quo, China can slow-roll decisions, redirect orders to others or focus on its domestic manufacturing as part of a long-term industrial plan,” Kinnas said.
“It would reflect a mix of supplier diversification and supporting domestic industry, all while taking advantage of the long lead times and backlog at Boeing that give China room to manoeuvre.”
Other than a recent string of big-ticket deals for Airbus planes, Chinese airlines have also ordered hundreds of single-aisle C919 passenger jets – billed as the domestic competitor to Boeing’s 737 series – made by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China or Comac, with more than 30 already in domestic service.
Boeing’s Ortberg appealed to Trump late last month to help seal a deal, telling Reuters the planemaker was counting on the US government to help unlock an order from China.
“Without the administration’s support, I don’t think we’ll see any near-term large orders out of China,” he said. “It really is something that would be tied to the effort from the administration.”
Whether those hopes will take flight should become apparent in the days after Trump’s Air Force One – a modified Boeing 747 – touches down in Beijing on Thursday.


US families ramp up efforts for loved ones’ release from China ahead of Xi’s visit

Rare honour: Trump will greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews, not just White House

China’s Wang Yi holds phone call with Rubio days before Xi visits US

China, US may unveil measures to boost military ties when Xi visits Washington

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Wrapped in a Boeing: will Trump’s China visit include another aircraft deal?

 Illustration: Henry Wong

A Shanghai Airlines Boeing 737-800 takes off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in July last year. Photo: AFP

China Southern Airlines orders Airbus jets worth US$21b as Boeing deal remains rumour

The order covers 137 A320neo jets for China Southern Airlines and subsidiary Xiamen Airlines. Photo: Handout

Air China subsidiary to lease 10 Boeing jets in deals worth about US$400 million

A Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by Shandong Airlines takes off from an airport in Tianjin, northern China. Photo: Shutterstock

Airbus wins Chinese airline’s 101-plane order in victory over Boeing in key market

Deal follows orders for 148 A320s from several Chinese airlines and a state-owned aircraft leasing group last year. Photo: Handout

China plans regulatory change to help C919 jet compete with Airbus and Boeing

A C919 passenger jet performs a fly-by at the Singapore Airshow in 2024. Photo: Xinhua

A C919 passenger jet operated by China Eastern Airlines takes off from an airport in Shanghai. Photo: Xinhua

US envoy to China says progress on agreements, Boeing deal among signs of better ties

America’s ambassador to China, David Perdue, speaks at the Goldman Sachs Global Macro Conference Asia-Pacific on Tuesday. Photo: Handout

Julie Eadeh, the US consul general in Hong Kong, welcomes ambassador David Perdue to Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Economy

China Economy

Global Economy

News

Economy, Trade & Business

Diplomacy

Trump’s 2026 trip to China

China mulls US manufacturing fund ahead of Xi-Trump summit, business leader says

Beijing has confirmed that talks are under way for a visit to China by US President Donald Trump (left), seen here with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on October 30. Photo: AP

China confirms it is talking to US about Trump visit as trade truce stays on the cards

Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are expected to meet in Beijing in early April as officials work to stabilise economic ties and manage strategic tensions. Photo: Getty Images

Trump-Xi summit preparations falter as planning gaps unsettle Beijing

 Illustration: Brian Wang

Chinese leader Xi Jinping with US President Donald Trump outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on November 9, 2017. Photo: Xinhua

Donald Trump, standing on Xi Jinping’s left side, offers to shake the Chinese leader’s hand. Leaders are instructed to approach Xi from his right-hand side for a handshake, so that he can face the cameras. Photo: Tass/Abaca Press/TNS

Shipping containers are shown on Terminal Island at the port of Los Angeles on Tuesday, days after the US Supreme Court ordered Trump’s initial tariffs struck down, only for the US president to bring in more, global tariffs under a different act. Photo: Reuters

China scours for bargaining chips to put on Trump-Xi summit table: sources

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes US President Donald Trump outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during the American leader’s 2017 visit. Photo: Xinhua

Xi and Trump, joined by senior Chinese and American officials, meet in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, 2025, on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. Photo: Reuters

Will Iran attack derail Trump’s high-stakes China visit to meet Xi Jinping?

US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping when he travels to Beijing later this month, the first such visit by an American leader since his own trip in 2017. Photo: AP 

US, China discuss investment revival ahead of Trump’s trip: sources

US President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping shake hands at an October meeting in South Korea. The two are expected to meet again in four weeks. Photo: Reuters

Trump’s China visit limited to Beijing due to tight schedule and security needs: sources

US President Donald Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet at the Forbidden City in Beijing on November 8, 2017, the last time Trump – or any US president – visited China. Photo: AFP

Could China’s rare earth supplies dictate how long US strikes on Iran go on?

China accounted for 71 per cent of US rare earth element imports from 2021 to 2024, according to the US Geological Survey. Photo: Reuters

Sanctioned Rubio to take part in Trump’s China trip despite previous missed opportunities

As a senator, Marco Rubio had cultivated a reputation as a China hawk. Photo: AP

Why Trump’s China trip delay could open the door for ‘more substantive’ results

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) welcomes Donald Trump in Beijing in November 2017 during the US president’s last trip to China. Photo: Xinhua

Chaos over Donald Trump’s China trip likely to further test Beijing’s patience with US

The White House’s current approach contrasts with that in 2017, when Donald Trump last visited China. Photo: TNS

Trump ally Steve Daines will be first sitting US senator to visit Hong Kong since 2019

US Senator Steve Daines, who is expected to visit Hong Kong this month, has a long history with China, dating back to his position with Procter & Gamble in the 1990s. Photo: Reuters

What are the real reasons behind the change of date for Trump’s China visit?

President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump were expected to meet again at the end of this month but the trip has been delayed. Photo: TNS

The USS Gerald R. Ford is part of the United States’ Operation Epic Fury against Iran. Photo: Handout

What does it mean for China if Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin visit back to back?

Traditional Russian wooden dolls depict Chinese President Xi Jinping, then US president-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a souvenir shop in St Petersburg, Russia, on November 21, 2024. Photo: AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping confer in Beijing on October 17, 2023. Beijing has maintained a strong relationship with Moscow since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

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

 Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has taken a leading role in shaping the summit’s agenda, pushing a more restrained US commercial presence in China. Photo: AP

Trump ally Steve Daines to visit China as US turns up pressure before May summit

Chinese Premier Li Qiang greets US Senator Steve Daines ahead of their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 23, 2025. Photo: Pool via Reuters

Daines, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said at a public event last month that the trip to Beijing will focus on China’s infrastructure and “innovation ecosystem”. Photo: Reuters

Will warming Arctic trigger further chill in US-China relations or bring them closer?

Illustration: Davies Christian

A scientific expedition team from China deploys ice-based buoys in high-latitude waters of the Arctic Ocean, in August 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Has ‘the Beast’ arrived in Beijing? Trump’s motorcade SUVs spotted before visit

SUVs with tinted windows and US government plates have been spotted on a Beijing highway in a sign that security is building up for next week’s China-US leadership summit. Photo: Handout

The centrepiece of the US presidential motorcade is a custom-built vehicle that is widely regarded as a moving fortress. Photo: AP

An image of the US licence plate belonging to one of the vehicles, which prompted jokes among China’s online community. Photo: Handout

China tells close Trump ally its wish list ahead of US leader’s Beijing trip

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and US Senator Steve Daines pose for photos ahead of their meeting at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Pool via Reuters

Latest US-China rivalry combines undersea dominance with a race to riches

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Xi-Trump summit: why the Iran war could become fresh point of friction

Analysts say the closure and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have become “a test of endurance” between China and the US. Photo: AFP

Buoyed by rare earths, China approaches Trump summit with fresh confidence

Beijing has grown bolder since playing its rare earths card in October and is now less worried about tariffs, according to sources. Photo: Reuters

Trump heads to China weakened as Xi gains leverage ahead of summit

The fallout from the Iran war is reshaping the geopolitical and economic backdrop ahead of the China summit. Photo: Reuters

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, 2025. Photo: Reuters

Trump’s China return: what’s changed since his ‘friendly’ 2017 visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes US President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, in November 2017. Photo: Xinhua

A person receives a Covid-19 test in New York in early 2022. The pandemic marked a low point in US-China relations during the years between Trump’s two Beijing visits. Photo: AFP

A Patriot missile system is deployed in Taipei during military exercises in July 2025. Taiwan remains a major flashpoint as Donald Trump prepares to visit Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping on May 14-15. Photo: AFP

Workers dig at a rare earth mine in China’s Jiangxi province in 2010. Control over critical minerals remains central to US-China tech rivalry as Trump prepares to meet Xi in Beijing. Photo: Chinatopix via AP

Did US pressure before Xi-Trump summit force KMT hand on Taiwan’s defence budget?

Taiwan opposition parties KMT and TPP cheer after parliament approved the defence spending bill, in Taipei on May 8. Photo: AFP 

Trump’s China visit watched in US for signs of stability – and tangible wins

US businesses and manufacturers are watching for signs the summit could stabilise supply chains and ease trade uncertainty. Photo: Shutterstock

Trump taps Musk, Cook and other leaders for high-stakes China trade mission

Apple CEO Tim Cook (left) and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and expected to join a delegation of US business leaders travelling with President Donald Trump to China this week. Photo: Getty Images

China’s AI ascent leaves Trump a stark choice: escalate or relax chip controls?

Illustration: Henry Wong

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang waves to the crowd as he leaves during the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing on July 17, 2025. Photo: AFP

From ‘Taco’ to ‘Nacho’: the new buzzword on Wall Street as Trump preps for China trip

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to meet in Beijing this week. Photo: Reuters

Why is Beijing on a stronger footing to discuss Taiwan with Trump this time?

Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump were unusually silent over the Taiwan issue when they met in South Korea last October. Photo: Reuters

Trump’s China visit opens door to ‘casual’ networking between business chiefs

The Capital Club is one of Beijing’s most exclusive hangouts for business leaders and diplomats. Photo: Handout

The club is sited on the top floor of the Capital Mansion in Beijing. Photo: Handout

Melania, Rush Hour director returns to China with Trump’s delegation

US first lady Melania Trump’s life in the 20 days leading up to the 2025 presidential inauguration has been documented in the film Melania. Photo: Reuters

Producer Brian Grazer, US President Donald Trump, Brett Ratner, Melania Trump and Sean “Diddy” Combs are pictured in New York in 2011. Photo: WireImage

Chris Tucker (left) and Jackie Chan are expected to reunite for the fourth instalment of the Rush Hour franchise, which will be mostly filmed in China, according to a source. Photo: New Line Cinema

US first lady not travelling to China with Trump

US first lady Melania Trump and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan hold up Chinese calligraphy written by students at Banchang Primary School in Beijing on November 9, 2017. Photo: AP

US first lady Melania Trump walks along the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall in Beijing on November 10, 2017. Photo: AP

Trump visit sees Marco Rubio become first sanctioned US secretary of state to visit China

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was sanctioned twice while a senator, boards Air Force One on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

US defence secretary joins Trump on China trip in rare diplomatic move

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate on Tuesday regarding the White House’s proposed military budget. Photo: Getty Images

Pete Hegseth faced Senate questions on the Iran war and military spending hours before departing for China. Photo: Getty Images

After nearly 9 years, Trump is landing in a totally different China. Is he ready?

Cosmic order, political authority: the messaging in temple setting for Trump’s China visit

US President Donald Trump is expected to tour Beijing’s historic Temple of Heaven on Thursday as part of his state visit to China. Photo: Xinhua

Former US president Barack Obama walks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Zhongnanhai leaders’ compound, in Beijing in November 2014. Photo: AFP

Marco Rubio dons ‘Maduro look’ as he heads to China, sparking internet frenzy

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) wears the grey Nike tracksuit made famous following the abduction of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro (right) by the US military in January. Photo composite: X/ @StevenCheung47, @WhiteHouse

How US missile shortages after Iran war could strengthen China’s hand during Trump visit

US stocks of key missiles, including the Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile range, have been depleted. Photo: 40th Flight Test Squadron



‘Transactional’ but pivotal: how Xi-Trump talks could redefine US-China fault lines

Xi Jinping with Donald Trump during his last visit to China as US president in 2017. Photo: AP

‘A flying White House’: Trump’s Air Force One fuels fascination in China

Beijing residents photograph Air Force One as it arrives carrying US President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP

A Chinese soldier standing perfectly still just meters away as the engines thundered beside him. Photo: X/JM Raasch

Xi-Trump summit as it happened: after fanfare and banquet, day 1 of Trump’s China visit draws to a close

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump shake hands at the state banquet. Photo: Reuters

The longest day – how the Xi-Trump summit reset China-US ties in 12 hours

Children welcome US President Donald Trump as he arrives with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

The Chinese and US delegations line up for talks in the Great Hall of the People on Thursday. Photo: AP

Boeing nears ‘large’ China orders as Trump and Xi forge new trade board: Bessent

President Xi Jinping shakes hands with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as US President Donald Trump looks on during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: AFP

How did the US and China tell 2 different stories about the summit?

In Beijing’s readout, the sections attributed to President Trump focused mostly on his praise for China and its “great leader”. Photo: AP

The toast, the tastes and the tech selfie that crowned the US-China summit

A toast to two countries at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday. Photo: AFP

The table is set for the banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: AP

President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan host their US counterparts Donald and Melania Trump in Beijing in November 2017. Photo: AFP

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a senior adviser in his first administration, was seated next to China’s first lady Peng Liyuan at the Mar-a-Lago dinner in April 2017. Photo: Reuters

The meticulously prepared table setting for the lunch party President Xi Jinping hosted for the 100-year-old Henry Kissinger, former US secretary of state, in 2023. Photo: CCTV

Xi and Trump set sights on stability for China and the US – with a note of caution

Presidents Xi Jinping and  Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: via Reuters

The US-China trade war is entering a worrying new phase: a legal arms race

Eye on the tiger: how Elon Musk’s son’s bag became a hit with Chinese public

The six-year-old was seen carrying the bag at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: Reuters

The bag was inspired by traditional clothing that dates back to the Tang dynasty. Photo: Weibo

Inside Zhongnanhai: Xi welcomes Trump into China’s hidden heart before bidding goodbye

Chinese President Xi Jinping leads US counterpart Donald Trump through the Yundou Gate, inscribed with couplets from the Qianlong Emperor, inside the Zhongnanhai compound in Beijing on Friday. Photo: AP

The two leaders admire centuries-old trees within the Zhongnanhai compound. Photo: via Reuters

Then US president Barack Obama with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Zhongnanhai leaders’ compound, ahead of a dinner in Beijing in November 2014. Photo: AFP

Rapid-fire to restrained: China state visit reveals a changed Trump on social media

US President Donald Trump has made only a handful of social media posts in the past three days. Photo: AFP

President Donald Trump’s social media post highlighting praise from Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Photo: TruthSocial/realDonaldTrump

The Xi-Trump summit is over. What comes next in the US-China rivalry?

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and US President Donald Trump are expected to meet again this year. Photo: AP

Xi-Trump summit as it happened: Trump talks about Taiwan, espionage, trade deals and future meetings

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at Zhongnanhai on Friday. Photo: Xinhua

As Trump revamps White House, Rubio floored by Beijing hall’s fancy ceiling

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shows his approval of the ceiling at the East Hall in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Handout

 The East Hall of the Great Hall of the People features traditional Chinese motifs. Photo: EPA

As Trump wraps up China trip, what will he and Xi take from historic summit?

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump are greeted by children during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. Photo: Pool via EPA

Xi and Trump discuss the ancient trees at Zhongnanhai. Photo: AP

China’s Xi Jinping to pay first state visit to US in more than a decade

While expectations are not high that China and the US will reach major deals to resolve their differences, there is hope that the leaders meeting repeatedly could reduce the risk of miscalculation. Photo: Reuters via AP


Donald Trump and Xi Jinping pose with their wives at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on April 6, 2017. China has emphasised the importance of “head of state diplomacy” in its relationship with the US. Photo: AP

Xi-Trump summit: can ‘aspirational’ new vision for stability survive strategic rivalry?

US President Donald Trump bids farewell to Chinese President Xi Jinping as he wraps up his state visit, in Beijing on Friday. Photo: Reuters

From Confucius to Tsinghua: Trump invokes history to anchor China-US future

US President Donald Trump makes a toast as he attends Thursday’s state banquet with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: AFP

The eastern pediment of the United States Supreme Court building, where Confucius is depicted alongside Moses (centre) and Solon of Athens. Photo: Shutterstock

Trump and his CEOs want China’s business – but has Asia moved on?

Taiwan casts long shadow over Trump’s summit with Xi

Taipei’s skyline, including the Taipei 101 skyscraper, rises beyond Songshan Airport. Photo: Reuters

Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday after wrapping up his Beijing summit with Xi Jinping, where Taiwan emerged as a key point of tension. Photo: Getty Images

Trump leaves China after much pomp and pageantry, but little to show for it

US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One before departing Beijing on Friday. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Wrapped in a Boeing: will Trump’s China visit include another aircraft deal?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}After the US$37 billion, 300-plane deal from Trump’s last visit stalled, industry observers say the next one could be more flexible

After the US$37 billion, 300-plane deal from Trump’s last visit stalled, industry observers say the next one could be more flexible