US President Donald Trump is set to visit China from May 13 for a round of high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping focused primarily on trade, security and mounting geopolitical tensions.

According to China’s state Xinhua News Agency, Trump will travel to Beijing from May 13 to 15 for his first official visit to China in almost a decade. He last visited in 2017. Formal bilateral meetings are scheduled for May 14 and May 15, marking the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders in six months.

The visit is being viewed on both sides of the Pacific as an effort to ease growing economic tensions between the world’s two largest economies while also addressing broader global issues, including the conflict involving Iran and rivalry across Asia.

Discussions are expected to cover a range of sensitive issues, including nuclear weapons, Taiwan, artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of global trade relations. Attempts will also be made to stabilise strained diplomatic ties sources indicate.

US officials cited by Chinese media said Washington and Beijing were likely to explore new mechanisms aimed at facilitating bilateral trade and investment, including possible agreements covering agricultural products, energy imports and aircraft purchases from Boeing.

It is believed the two sides may also discuss the creation of joint trade and investment councils, although implementation would depend on further negotiations in the months following the summit.

A central issue to be covered by Trump and Xi will be whether or not to extend a temporary trade truce under which China continues exporting rare earth minerals to the United States.

Beyond trade, the discussions are expected to address China’s role in the Iran conflict, with Washington urging Beijing to use its influence over Tehran to support diplomatic de-escalation – the elephant in the conference room being China’s supposed supply of GPS-related tech seemingly benefitting Iran in its actions against the US. China also remains one of Iran’s largest oil buyers.

Taiwan is also expected to feature prominently in the discussions, with Beijing continuing to oppose any and all US military support for the island while Washington remains Taiwan’s largest arms supplier and a key partner of the self-governing nation off China’s east coast.

AI governance and the risks of technological escalation are also on the agenda as is – on the US side at least – Washington’s concerns over China’s rapid advances in AI and their security implications.