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Trump ahead of Beijing summit with Xi says US does not need China’s help on Iran
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Trump projected confidence over the ongoing confrontation with Tehran and claimed the US had already dismantled much of Iran’s military capability.President Donald Trump waves from the stairs of Air Force One as he boards upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Tuesday, May 12, 2026, for a trip to China to meet President Xi Jinping. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)(AP)US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (May 12) said the United States did not need China’s assistance in handling Iran as he departed for Beijing for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn before boarding Air Force One, Trump projected confidence over the ongoing confrontation with Tehran and claimed the US had already dismantled much of Iran’s military capability.“I don’t think we need any help with Iran, and we’ll win it one way or the other,” Trump said.“We’ll win it peacefully or otherwise. The Navy’s gone. Their air force is gone. Every single element of their war machine is gone,” he added.Trump says Iran cannot obtain nuclear weaponsTrump reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remained a non-negotiable objective for Washington.“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.“They will not have a nuclear weapon. They know that. They've agreed to that.”The president also expressed confidence that the standoff with Tehran would ultimately end in Washington’s favor.“And one way or the other, it's going to work out very well. It's going to work out very well,” he said.Trump further claimed that the US blockade strategy targeting Iran had achieved complete success.“We've beaten their military very soundly. That's over with. The blockade is very effective. It's been 100% effective,” Trump said.Iran issue unlikely to dominate Xi talksAlthough Trump acknowledged that Iran would likely come up during discussions with Xi, he downplayed its significance compared to other issues in the US-China relationship.“We have a lot of things to discuss. I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control,” Trump said.The remarks come after weeks of US pressure on Beijing to use its economic leverage over Tehran to help de-escalate tensions and push Iran toward negotiations.Trump strikes positive tone toward Xi JinpingAhead of the summit, Trump adopted a notably warm tone toward Xi and suggested the meeting could produce positive outcomes despite broader tensions between the two powers.“He’s been a friend of mine. He’s been somebody that we get along with, and I think you’re going to see that good things are going to happen,” Trump said.“This is going to be a very exciting trip. A lot of good things are going to happen.”Trade, technology disputes, Taiwan, and broader geopolitical rivalry are expected to feature prominently during the Beijing talks.Oil markets and Strait of Hormuz remain in focusTrump also addressed concerns surrounding oil markets and disruptions linked to the Iran conflict.“You're going to have a gusher of oil like you've never had before,” he said.“So when oil goes up a little bit, I thought it would go up much more.”The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategically important oil shipping routes, and tensions involving Iran have continued to raise concerns about global energy supplies and prices.
President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that US arms sales to Taiwan and the continued imprisonment of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai will feature on his agenda when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing later this week, placing two of the most sensitive flashpoints in US-China relations at the heart of a summit already laden with expectations.Taiwan Arms Sales: Trump Says He Will Raise the Issue With XiWashington DC's arms sales to Taiwan have long been one of the sharpest points of contention between the United States and China, and Trump made clear on Monday that the issue would not be sidestepped in Beijing.When asked about Washington's longstanding support for Taiwan's defence, Trump said: "I'm going to have that discussion with President Xi. President Xi would like us not to, and I'll have that discussion. That's one of the many things I'll be talking about."People also askAI powered insights from this story•5 QUESTIONSPresident Trump confirmed he will raise US arms sales to Taiwan and the imprisonment of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai with Chinese President Xi Jinping. These issues are considered sensitive flashpoints in US-China relations.China claims Taiwan as its territory and views US arms sales as a significant risk to bilateral relations. Beijing has warned that aiding Taiwan's independence through arms sales will harm the US and that any attempt to use Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail.Jimmy Lai, founder of the Apple Daily newspaper, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong on charges of colluding with foreign forces. Trump has called for Lai's release, stating that people would like to see him out.The summit agenda is expected to cover trade, artificial intelligence, export controls, and China's dominance in rare-earth minerals and the automotive sector. Discussions may also involve US efforts to restrict China's access to advanced computer chips.A potential deal involving rare-earth materials for ASML lithography machines could lower chip prices by increasing China's market share, potentially impacting pricing power for companies like TSMC, SK Hynix, and Samsung Electronics.The remarks come after Beijing reportedly pressed the Trump administration to scale back its security commitments to the island. The administration has not moved ahead with arms deliveries following a record 11 billion dollar weapons package for Taiwan authorised in December, ahead of the presidential summit.Last Friday, Taiwan's lawmakers approved a special defence budget of 25 billion dollars to purchase missiles and other weapons from the US, falling well short of the 40 billion dollars the government had sought to counter an increasingly assertive Chinese military posture.Beijing's Position on Taiwan and What Is at StakeChina claims the democratically governed island as its own territory, a position that Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party firmly rejects. Chinese officials have described Taiwan as "the biggest point of risk" in the bilateral relationship with the US, urging Washington to "keep its promise and make the right choices to open up new space for China-U.S. cooperation."Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun had previously warned in December: "By aiding Taiwan's independence through arms sales, the US will only end up harming itself. Any attempt to use Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail."Security analysts have raised concerns about what even an ambiguous shift in tone from Trump could signal. Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific programme at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said any rhetorical softening would be "the most destabilizing outcome" of the summit."A tacit or explicit bargain in which Washington appears to concede a sphere of influence to Beijing over Taiwan" in exchange for concessions elsewhere could embolden China to take more assertive steps to erode Taiwan's autonomy, Glaser said.Jimmy Lai: Trump Pushes for Release of Jaile
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