US and China extend trade truce two months past planned November expiration
President Donald Trump is asking Chinese President Xi Jinping to use Beijing’s influence with Iran as part of Thursday’s White House meeting, while Xi is pressing for a halt to US arms sales to Taiwan, according to a Guardian live blog tracking the summit.
The Guardian’s live blog laid out the two leaders’ headline requests ahead of the scheduled Thursday session. Trump is seeking Chinese leverage on Iran; Xi wants a freeze on US arms sales to Taiwan. The Guardian did not detail what specifically Trump is asking Beijing to do regarding Iran.
Beyond the bilateral asks, the two leaders are set to cover trade irritants, artificial intelligence safeguards, and the war in Iran on Thursday, the Guardian reported. The live blog did not elaborate on the scope of the planned AI safeguards discussions.
The meeting follows a separate announcement on Wednesday that Washington and Beijing had agreed to extend their fragile trade truce by two months past its planned November expiration. The Guardian’s live blog did not detail the truce’s underlying terms.
The Guardian noted that Thursday’s session marks Xi’s first state visit to the United States in more than a decade. The live blog’s reporting was running ahead of Thursday’s talks; specific outcomes from the meeting were not available at the time of publication.