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Trump Puts Trade Ahead of Iran for Xi Summit Priorities
President Says US Has Iran 'Under Control' Before Highly Anticipated Beijing Meeting
President Donald Trump said he would prioritize trade discussions during his summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and downplayed the amount of attention they would devote to the Iran war.
“We’re going to be talking to President Xi about a lot of things. I would say, more than anything, trade,” Trump told reporters May 12 at the White House as he departed for the highly anticipated meeting in Beijing, scheduled for May 14-15.
“We have a lot of things to discuss. I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control,” he added. “We’re either going to make a deal, or they’re going to be decimated one way or the other.”
Trump is eager to secure business deals and hammer out details of a new board of trade to manage ties between the world’s two largest economies when he meets Xi, even as the Iran war has cast a shadow over the summit. The two sides are expected to discuss an extension of the trade truce they reached last fall.
China is a major purchaser of Iranian oil and has called for a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively shuttered as the U.S. blockades Iran’s ports and Tehran restricts the flow of other international traffic. The war has triggered a global energy crisis with world fuel reserves being drawn down.
As he departs for his trip to China, President Trump says Chinese President Xi Jinping has been "relatively good" with the Iran war.
"We're going to have a long talk about it. I think he's been relatively good, to be honest with you. You look at the blockade, no problems. They… pic.twitter.com/HJhpUX2EPk — CBS News (@CBSNews) May 12, 2026
Trump is under pressure to end the war and said previously he would press Xi over Beijing’s approach to Iran. But on May 12 he touted his relationship with Xi.
“My relationship with President Xi is a fantastic one. We’ve always gotten along, and we’re doing very well with China, and working with China has been very good, so we look forward to it,” Trump said.
