WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD News) — President Donald Trump is preparing in China today as trade negotiations and rising tensions in the Middle East continue to intersect.
The talks come as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz continue escalating following the recent attack on a Chinese oil tanker. Trump said the situation surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz will be a major focus during the meetings.
“I have a great relationship with President Xi, and I think you can see in the Strait of Hormuz, they get a big percentage of their oil from Hormuz,” President Trump told reporters on Monday. “There’s been no ships coming in, no nasty ships coming in where we end up in skirmishes. He didn’t want to see. I respect him a lot, and hopefully he respects me.”
RealAgRadio’s Shaun Haney says the situation could create additional leverage for the United States in negotiations, especially as China seeks to avoid broader instability in the region:
“This is one of the reasons that I have been personally optimistic about this meeting happening, and how it sort of crosses issues into the Iran war situation,” Haney told RFD News. “One of the things to think about here from the Chinese perspective. I was reading this morning about China not wanting to look like it’s siding with the U.S. in this particular situation.”
Haney believes the key to success would be if Trump could strike a balance in the negotiations where China can assist without looking like an ally or asset of the United States.
“And so, how does President Trump convince China to assist, but do so quietly, so they’re able to save some of the face and some of the narrative at home? I think that, you know, if you look at increased commodity purchase commitments — and getting us closer potentially to the end of this Iran war, and more so the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — that would be a double win. Can they do it? We’ll have to see, but it’s definitely, I think, what farmers and ranchers across the U.S. are hoping for.”
Trump is expected to arrive in China on Wednesday, where he will stay for two days of talks, returning to Washington on Friday.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is already in Asia meeting with key U.S. allies and trade partners. He is scheduled to meet with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi before heading to Seoul for trade talks with China’s vice premier.
Soybean purchases are expected to be a major topic of discussion.
In a post on X, Bessent said the trip is part of advancing President Trump’s “America First Economic Agenda.”
In advance of @POTUS' historic summit with President Xi in Beijing, I will depart on Monday for a quick series of meetings in both Japan and South Korea.
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) May 10, 2026
On Tuesday, I will meet in Tokyo with Prime Minister @takaichi_sanae, Finance Minister @satsukikatayama, and other government…
trade enforcement concerns.
