US allies in Asia are growing increasingly concerned that in order to lock in those economic wins, Trump may be tempted to soften Washington's support for Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China.
Taiwan strongly objects to China’s sovereignty claims. While the U.S., like most countries, has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it is its most important international backer and arms supplier.
Trump said Xi pressed him on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan during the May visit, with the U.S. president later describing a pending package worth up to $14 billion as a "negotiating chip".
As well as arms, people familiar with Chinese efforts told Reuters Beijing also hopes to persuade Trump to state publicly that the U.S. opposes Taiwan's independence instead of saying only that it does not support independence, which has been Washington's formulation for decades.
Any U.S. shift on Taiwan would be highly controversial, raising questions about Washington's resolve to defend the island and provoking opposition in Congress.
The two presidents are expected to discuss the Iran war, which Trump has struggled to end after launching it with Israel in February.
China maintains close ties to Tehran and is by far the world's biggest buyer of Iranian oil exports. Washington sees Xi as uniquely able to exert pressure on Tehran, but he has shown little inclination to do so. Reuters last month reported that Beijing is selling billions of dollars' worth of goods to Iran through a sanctions-evasion scheme. China's foreign ministry says it is not aware of such a scheme.
Despite U.S. frustration, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stopped short of imposing penalties on Chinese banks when he unveiled an "economic onslaught" against Iran last month and warned countries to cut business ties with Tehran.
Bessent has said he would meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng this weekend and that Trump and Xi would continue discussions on China's financial ties to Tehran during the summit.
Analysts see artificial intelligence as a potential area for cooperation, given its implications for national security, economic competitiveness and military capabilities, and shared U.S. and Chinese concerns about misuse. However, experts say intense competition in the field between the countries is likely to limit the scope for anything beyond symbolic agreements.
On Wednesday, Axios cited a statement from Bessent as saying that the United States was open to discussing shared risks with China in AI talks this weekend.
U.S. lawmakers have urged new rules to govern AI systems, while Dario Amodei, chief executive of U.S. artificial-intelligence firm Anthropic, warned this month that Chinese dominance in AI could pose security risks to the United States.
Chinese state media dismissed Amodei's warning as coming from a "Cold War playbook" while Trump has brushed aside calls to slow AI development, saying that "very negative forces" were raising exaggerated concerns.
Curbing the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China remains a concern of the Trump administration, given the ravages the drug has caused among Americans.
Washington has repeatedly accused Beijing of failing to stem the flow of precursors, and Trump imposed fentanyl-related tariffs on China in early 2025 that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in February.
FBI Director Kash Patel told Reuters last month that he had forged a new law enforcement partnership with China in hopes of curbing the trade.
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