Trump meets US ambassador to China as tensions flare ahead of Xi showdown

President Donald Trump is set to meet with U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue Tuesday, as the administration prepares for a high-stakes summit between the U.S. president and Chinese President Xi Jinping in May. 

The talks are expected to focus on both escalating tensions in the Middle East and the broader U.S.–China relationship, as Washington weighs its approach to Beijing ahead of the summit.

The meeting comes just after the U.S. launched a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, where China remains the largest buyer of Iranian crude amid the conflict between the U.S., Iran and Israel.

The blockade risks pulling China more directly into the conflict. Any effort to enforce it against shipments bound for China could trigger a confrontation between the world’s two largest economies.

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"This will only aggravate confrontation, escalate tension, undermine the already fragile ceasefire and further jeopardize safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said of the blockade Tuesday in a daily press conference. "It is a dangerous and irresponsible move." 

The meeting also comes amid reports that China supplied Iran with weapons, which Chinese officials dismissed as "completely made up." Trump has threatened China with 50% tariffs if the reports are accurate.

Meanwhile, Washington and Beijing remain locked in a fragile tariff standoff. 

After the 2025 escalation pushed tariffs above 100% on both sides, the two countries agreed to a temporary rollback that lowered U.S. duties on Chinese goods to around 30% and China’s tariffs on American exports to roughly 10%. That truce has held into 2026, but core disputes over technology, market access and national security remain unresolved, with both sides continuing negotiations ahead of the planned summit.

The U.S. has escalated economic pressure beyond tariffs: the Trump administration has moved to eliminate a key loophole that allowed Chinese goods valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free, a step targeting companies like Temu and Shein and affecting millions of shipments.

Despite rising economic tensions, the U.S. military posture toward China remains more restrained. 

The Trump administration’s national security and defense strategies prioritize defending the homeland from overseas conflicts, even as they identify China as the top long-term threat. 

Recent intelligence assessments also have downplayed the likelihood of an imminent Chinese invasion of Taiwan, finding no fixed timeline for military action, suggesting Washington is focused more on deterrence than preparing for direct conflict.

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment on the purpose of the meeting.