US military aircraft have landed in China ahead of Donald Trump’s state visit there over the next two days, with the president looking for a fight as the Iran war continues on in the background.
Trump will visit Beijing for three days beginning on Wednesday, and his Chinese hosts have afforded him the honour of a full state visit.
But behind the pomp and pleasantries, it’s an important game of diplomatic brinksmanship for Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping – one that neither man can afford to lose.
What will take place on the trip?
The main talking point between the two leaders will be the ongoing conflict with Iran and the shipping blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has been leaning on China to use its influence to push Tehran toward a deal with Washington.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei suggested China could instead use the visit to push back against US objectives in the Gulf.
“Our Chinese friends know very well how to use these opportunities to warn about the consequences of (America’s) ‘ illegal and bullying actions on regional peace and security,” he said.
In the last week, the US president has taken a number of provocative actions against China.
The Trump administration has announced sanctions on nine companies, including three based in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, for helping Iran ship its oil to China.
In addition, several Chinese companies, including some in Hong Kong, were hit by sanctions from Washington last week, over accusations they aided Iran’s efforts to secure weapons and the raw materials needed to build its drones and ballistic missiles.
A statement from the US Treasury Department said it was also prepared to act against any foreign company supporting illicit Iranian commerce, including airlines, and could impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions that aid Iran’s efforts, including those connected to China’s independent “teapot” oil refineries.
What other issues will be discussed?
The other main topic of the trip is trade, often a sore point in relations between Washington and Beijing, especially after Trump’s heavy levying of tariffs on Chinese goods.
The tariffs caused an earthquake among Chinese businesses and led to goods piling up in warehouses, while US firms scrambled to find alternatives.
Trump and Xi last met in South Korea in October of last year, where they each agreed to some concessions on the issue of tariffs, but a permanent solution is yet to be found.
China’s heavy investment in manufacturing means its businesses have little choice but to spend overseas, economist Tang Heiwai from the University of Hong Kong told the BBC.
“(China) will need the US. There’s no single country as big as them as a consumer market,” Tang said.
Who will join Trump on the trip?
Perhaps with the trade tit-for-tat between the two countries in mind, some of America’s highest-profile executives and CEOs will ride on Air Force One with the president to Beijing.
Chief among them will be Trump’s friend-turned-enemy-turned-friend again, Elon Musk, who has apparently recovered from his falling out with the president, which came after he was farewelled from his part-time job as Trump’s government waste watchdog with a bizarre giant gold key in the Oval Office.
Musk then tweeted that Trump was in the so-called Epstein files, something Trump has always denied.
However, they seem to be back on chummy terms again, and the Tesla titan will be joined in China by other tech company bosses, including Apple’s Tim Cook, and executives from Cisco, Meta, Micron and Qualcomm.
Also there will be the chiefs of Boeing, GE Aerospace, Citi, Goldman Sachs, Mastercard and Visa.