When Xi Jinping invited Donald Trump to visit China last year, it was part of an effort by both sides to stabilise their relationship after a short, sharp trade war triggered by the “Liberation Day” tariffs. Trade will still top the agenda when the two men meet at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People today but there is now another burning issue on the table in the shape of the war in Iran. China was unequivocal in condemning Trump’s war against Iran as an illegal act of aggression and Beijing has offered humanitarian aid as well as diplomatic support to Tehran. But China also has important economic ties with the Gulf monarchies, notably Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and it has suffered from the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The White House signalled in advance of Trump’s trip that he would press Xi to curb Chinese help for Iran, particularly the supply of dual use technology that could help Tehran’s military defence. But when the US this month sanctioned Chinese companies over dealings with Iran, including one that provides satellite imagery, Beijing warned that anyone complying with the American measures would be prosecuted. When Trump and Xi met in the South Korean city of Busan last November, they agreed a year-long truce in the trade war triggered by Washington’s imposition of triple-figure tariffs on Chinese imports. China responded to the tariffs by choking off the supply to the US of rare earth minerals used in modern manufacturing and Trump backed down. Both sides hope to extend the truce and build on it by establishing a Board of Trade and a Board of Investment to manage their bilateral economic relationship. China may agree to buy more American soya beans and to increase its orders of Boeing aircraft. READ MORE The US has sought to exclude Chinese electric vehicles from the American market but there is speculation that Trump could agree an investment deal with Xi that would see Chinese manufacturers establishing production plants in the US. Some European Union member-states have also sought to attract Chinese investment in electric vehicle production in a pattern similar to that which followed the appearance of Japanese cars on the western market in the 1990s. Taiwan is watching Trump’s visit with anxiety, fearing that Xi will persuade him to shift Washington’s rhetorical position by declaring opposition to Taiwanese independence. The US acknowledges Beijing as the sole government of China but has been vague about the legal status of Taiwan. However, Trump has alarmed Taipei by suggesting that it is up to Xi to decide what he wants to do about the island and saying he was prepared to discuss US military support for Taiwan. Whether this issue becomes part of a complex web of trade-offs in the talks will be vital.
Iranian Official
The Iranian government condemns the US war of aggression against the Islamic Republic as a blatant violation of national sovereignty and international law, rejecting any foreign interference in its affairs. Tehran welcomes China's firm diplomatic support and humanitarian assistance in resisting this unlawful assault, while warning that US sanctions on Chinese firms aiding Iran's defense will be met with resolute opposition. As leaders meet in Beijing, the focus remains on upholding Iran's right to self-defense amid ongoing external threats.
Israeli
From an Israeli security standpoint, the Trump-Xi summit underscores the urgent need to sever China’s supply of dual-use technology and satellite support to Iran, which sustains Tehran’s proxy network of Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis as an existential multi-front threat to the Jewish state. While Beijing condemns U.S. defensive strikes on Iranian aggression and evades sanctions to preserve its ties with Tehran, such assistance directly bolsters the regime’s military capabilities and risks closing the Strait of Hormuz, endangering regional stability. Israel views curbing this axis as a defensive imperative to prevent Iran from acquiring advanced tools that could enable catastrophic attacks on the homeland.
Neutral
Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump are set to meet in Beijing, with trade and the conflict in Iran on the agenda. China has condemned US military actions in Iran and provided support to Tehran while maintaining economic ties with Gulf states affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The US has sanctioned Chinese firms over dealings with Iran, including the supply of dual-use technology, prompting Beijing to warn against compliance with those measures; the two leaders previously agreed to a trade truce during their November meeting in Busan.
Western
President Trump’s upcoming meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing centers on pressing China to cease supplying dual-use technologies and satellite support to Iran, thereby neutralizing Tehran’s defensive capabilities after U.S. precision strikes dismantled key threats. While advancing a trade truce to stabilize supply chains, Washington seeks to counter Beijing’s enabling of Iranian aggression, which has also disrupted the Strait of Hormuz and global energy flows. Recent sanctions on Chinese firms underscore the strategic imperative to deter any assistance that prolongs regional instability.
Pro-Peace
As the devastating war in Iran continues to inflict heavy civilian casualties and humanitarian suffering, China’s condemnation of the aggression and offers of aid to Tehran highlight the urgent need for de-escalation over military escalation. Diplomatic engagement, rather than sanctions or trade pressures that prolong regional instability, offers the only path to protecting lives and easing the blockade’s impact on ordinary people. Both leaders must prioritize humanitarian relief and peaceful negotiations to end the conflict.
Global South
Beijing has asserted its sovereign right to maintain independent ties with Iran, rejecting US sanctions on Chinese firms as neo-colonial interference aimed at enforcing compliance with Washington’s illegal war of aggression. As Xi hosts Trump amid unresolved trade frictions from earlier US tariffs, the talks expose the failure of multilateral institutions to restrain unilateral coercion or protect nations resisting external dictates. China’s calibrated support for Tehran, alongside its Gulf economic links, reflects non-aligned priorities over submission to American pressure.
When Xi Jinping invited Donald Trump to visit China last year, it was part of an effort by both sides to stabilise their relationship after a short, sharp trade war triggered by the “Liberation Day” tariffs. Trade will still top the agenda when the two men meet at Beijing’s Great…
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International mediators have proposed a 10-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, according to a senior Iranian official cited in reports. The measure is described as intended to reduce hostilities and allow renewed talks on a prior interim agreement.
Both sides are assessing next steps in the current regional security situation.
Reports indicate that a US-Iran ceasefire has broken down amid renewed fighting, with the potential impact of mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar, and Oman remaining unclear. Earlier diplomatic steps included a June memorandum of understanding between the parties for further negotiations and talks hosted in Geneva in February.
The summary also references Europe’s historical role in diplomacy, including the 1814-15 Congress of Vienna.
Donald Trump stated in a Fox News interview that his representatives had spoken with Iranian officials an hour earlier and that those officials wanted to make a deal to end the conflict, though he noted they had broken prior agreements and expressed uncertainty about whether one would be reached.
He added that people do not want to die and that Iran would need to proceed carefully to avoid further losses. The remarks come amid an ongoing US-Iran conflict that has involved casualties and shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, with some social media users criticizing the repetition of similar statements.
Why the Iran-US ceasefire is falling apart Iran and the US have resumed fighting because they don’t see each other as ‘reliable negotiating partners’, says analyst Ali Vaez. Neither Iran nor the United States seems able to deliver a “knockout blow at an acceptable price” to the other side, and both know “they have no choice other than engaging in diplomacy”, but they’re not ready to make uncomfortable concessions, argues Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at International Crisis Group.
Vaez tells host Steve Clemons that Tehran and Washington are trying to “enforce their own interpretation” of the ceasefire agreement they signed last month. President Trump has become “frustrated” with diplomacy because he’s not seeing “the kind of quick results that he likes to see”, Vaez says.