China draws '4 red-lines' for US ahead of Trump's visit
What's the story
Ahead of United States President Donald Trump's visit to China from May 13-15, the Chinese Embassy in Washington has issued a statement reiterating four "red lines" in US-China relations that must not be crossed. In a post on X, the embassy listed the four red lines as "The Taiwan Question," '"Democracy and Human Rights," "Paths and Political Systems," and "China's Development Right."
Business delegation
Trump's entourage to include top US business leaders
In another post on X, the embassy said, "China and the US should explore the building of a strategic, constructive, and stable China-US relationship." Trump will be accompanied by some of the biggest names in American business. NVIDIA President and CEO Jensen Huang, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Tim Cook of Apple, Larry Fink of BlackRock, Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone, and Kelly Ortberg of Boeing are among those traveling with him on Air Force One.
Optimistic outlook
Good things are going to happen, says Trump
Before his departure, Trump expressed optimism about his trip to China. He called Chinese President Xi Jinping a friend and said, "You're going to see that good things are going to happen." When asked about possible negotiations with Iran with Xi's involvement during the visit, he said they might not need help, as "they're defeated militarily."
Xi
Xi is expected to raise issues of Taiwan and tariffs
Chinese President Xi is expected to raise issues of Taiwan and Trump's tariffs at the upcoming summit. The three-day meeting will be Trump's first visit to China since 2017. While the US officially acknowledges that China views Taiwan as part of its territory, it remains ambiguous on whether it agrees. The US cut ties with Taiwan decades ago, but it remains committed to assisting the self-governing democracy's defense under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.
Act
Washington provided Taiwan with billions of dollars in arms
Under the law, Washington has provided Taiwan with billions of dollars in armaments and sought collaboration in areas such as military training and intelligence sharing, which Beijing regards as interference in its domestic affairs. In a discussion with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made it clear that the Taiwan issue would be raised at the summit, calling it "the biggest risk in the China-US relationship."
Others
Trade tensions continue between US, China
The leaders are also expected to discuss the recent trade war between the US and China, which saw both sides imposing retaliatory tariffs. Trump and Xi had agreed to a one-year truce in October 2025, but tensions remain high. Over the last month, the US has imposed a series of fresh sanctions on Chinese corporations, including refiners suspected of purchasing Iranian oil and companies accused of helping Tehran in obtaining materials for the development of drones and missile systems.