China Sent a Tough Message to Trump… Did He Understand It?
Before Trump stepped off his Presidential jet in Beijing the Chinese were sending subtle but clear signals that they consider Trump a second class leader and that relations remain frosty.
First, the China Daily newspaper downplayed the upcoming meeting between Xi and Trump, posting a headline about talks between Xi and the leader of Tajikistan. The meeting with Trump was buried in a story in the sidebar titled, Xi Navigates China-US relations amid global uncertainty.
Second, the CCTV and XINHUA websites — as of 12 May 2026 — said nothing about the upcoming meeting with Trump.
Third, before Trump’s arrival, the Chinese Embassy in Washington published a list of four “red lines” that “Washington should not question”. These are:
The Taiwan issue,
Democracy and human rights in China,
The political system,
Beijing’s rights to development.
The Chinese message to Trump: China will not accept any criticism from Trump or his delegation on these issues. Raising any of these will be viewed as an insult to China.
Fourth, when Trump arrived in Beijing the plane was met at the airport by China’s Vice Premier (or Vice President in some reports) and other senior Chinese officials rather than President Xi Jinping himself; U.S. and Chinese diplomatic representatives and an honor guard were also present. This was the same configuration that met Trump in November 2017 during his first trip to China.
Compare that to the honors accorded to Vladimir Putin. Xi Jinping personally greeted him on arrival rather than leaving the welcome to lower‑level officials. Reports of Putin’s 2024 and other state visits say Xi received him with full ceremonial honors (welcome ceremony or reception at the Great Hall of the People) and met him on arrival in Beijing.
Xi Jinping, in his initial public remarks at the first meeting of the respective delegations said the following:
▪️The basis of relations between China and the USA should be based on mutual benefit.
▪️Confrontation will lead to mutual damage – it is necessary to be partners, not rivals.
▪️China and the USA should overcome the “Thucydides’s Trap”* and build a new paradigm of relations.
“Thucydides’s Trap” is a political concept, according to which a rising power threatens a state that occupies a dominant position – which makes an armed conflict between them almost inevitable. It is often used to describe the relations between China and the USA.
On the issue of Taiwan, Xi stated that:
An incorrect approach to the Taiwan issue could lead to a conflict between China and the United States. Peace in the Taiwan Strait is a key factor in the relations between China and the United States.
One issue that is likely to be discussed in private, outside the view of cameras, is sanctions. Immediately before President Trump’s departure for Beijing (May 13, 2026) the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on May 11, 2026 announced sanctions targeting 12 individuals and entities (3 people + 9 companies) for facilitating Iranian oil sales and shipments to China.
Prior to this, on April 24, 2026, the US placed sanctions on five major Chinese “teapot” refineries (including Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refining Co. and smaller Shandong/Hebei producers) for purchasing billions in Iranian crude. This triggered China’s first-ever use of its “Blocking Rules” (Announcement No. 21 on May 2), prohibiting Chinese entities from complying with these U.S. sanctions. Subsequently, on May 8, 2026, the Trump administration announced additional designations on Chinese companies (e.g., satellite/tech firms like MizarVision/Chang Guang) accused of aiding Iran’s military/intelligence efforts.
I am certain that President Xi will raise these actions directly with Trump during their scheduled private conversation on Friday. While Trump and his national security team hoped that these actions would pressure China to ease its support for Iran, those hopes will be dashed and China will insist that such actions are incompatible with friendship. Remains to be seen if Trump will reverse these sanctions.
I had a pleasant chat with Mario this afternoon regarding the latest developments in the Persian Gulf and the implications of the Xi/Trump meeting in Beijing: