President Donald Trump told reporters that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping are “very similar on Iran,” expressing a shared desire to see the war end and to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The comments came on the second day of their summit in Beijing, where the two met for private talks, a garden tour and a working lunch.
At a brief photo opportunity before tea, Trump said the leaders had discussed Iran and other topics and that they were largely “in agreement.” He reiterated that both want the Strait of Hormuz reopened and suggested the two sides want the conflict brought to an end. Chinese officials did not provide detailed summaries of the discussions.
Trump also said the two leaders “made some fantastic trade deals.” Earlier in the day the pair toured the Zhongnanhai leadership compound gardens, a visit Xi said he arranged to reciprocate Trump’s 2017 hospitality at Mar-a-Lago. Xi noted Trump’s interest in the garden’s plants and said he had agreed to give Trump seeds from Chinese roses.
The meetings took place against ongoing tensions around Taiwan and questions about China’s role in helping end the Iran war. Xi used the summit’s first day to warn that mishandling Taiwan could lead to conflict, while saying properly handled, the issue need not destabilize bilateral ties.
China is a major buyer of Iranian oil, and the two leaders’ talks came as the U.S. pushes to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid the extended conflict. When asked to confirm whether Iran was discussed, the Chinese Foreign Ministry declined to give specifics but reiterated Beijing’s preference for ceasefire negotiations and reopening the strait, saying dialogue should continue and that an early solution would benefit the region and the wider world.
Trump and Xi also attended a state banquet and held a more than two-hour meeting at the Great Hall of the People on the summit’s first day, accompanied by ceremonial welcomes.
Trade, technology and market access were prominent themes. Trump said he planned to press Xi to “open up” China’s economy, and he was joined in Beijing by top U.S. executives — including Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Tim Cook of Apple and Jensen Huang of NVIDIA — whom he said were there to “pay respects” to Xi and to pursue reciprocal business opportunities.
The White House said the administration hopes to secure Chinese purchases in aerospace, agriculture and energy. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters he expects China to agree to tens of billions of dollars in annual American agricultural purchases over the next few years, though he offered no detailed terms.
Throughout the visit both leaders emphasized the value of cooperation. Trump praised Xi’s leadership and described a practical, problem-solving relationship, saying when issues arose they were resolved quickly through direct contact. Xi urged partnership over rivalry, saying both countries “stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation,” and called for major powers to find ways to get along in the new era.
The summit blended diplomacy, symbolism and commercial outreach as the two leaders sought to manage tensions while advancing mutual economic interests.