Trump and Xi Meet at White House as Trade Truce Buys Time

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are holding talks at the White House, a meeting Trump has called a "big day", with trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the wars in Iran and Ukraine expected to dominate the agenda.

The discussions follow an agreement to extend a fragile 11-month trade truce by two months. The truce had been due to expire in November, and the extension gives negotiators more time to work through outstanding disputes between the world's two largest economies. Tariffs and trade barriers affecting specific sectors, along with the wider economic relationship, are likely to be part of the conversation.

Artificial intelligence is another major area of strategic competition. Trump has argued that the US is ahead of China in the race for AI leadership and has resisted calls from parts of the American technology industry to slow development. The two countries have clashed over US restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China and Washington's efforts to limit Beijing's access to cutting-edge semiconductor technology. Control over advanced AI systems and the chips needed to build them has become part of the broader technology and national-security rivalry between the two powers.

Taiwan remains a sensitive point of contention. China claims the island as part of its territory and has repeatedly opposed US arms sales to Taiwan, viewing them as interference in what it considers an internal matter. Washington has continued to support Taiwan's ability to defend itself. Talks between the two leaders are likely to touch on the balance between China's territorial claims, US security commitments in the region and efforts to keep tensions from escalating.

The conflicts in Iran and Ukraine could also feature. Trump wants China to use its influence with Iran as Washington seeks to address the conflict and its wider consequences, including higher global oil prices. Beijing's diplomatic and economic ties in the region give it a potential role in discussions over the Iran conflict. On Ukraine, Washington has sought greater Chinese involvement, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly called on Beijing to do more to help bring Russia to the negotiating table. The two leaders could discuss China's relationship with Russia and Beijing's possible role in efforts to end the war.