Trump to Meet Xi Amid Market and Security Disputes

President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on September 24 to discuss trade and security. Trump claims China is on the verge of a grand opening of its markets to American companies, citing a promise made during May meetings in Beijing that is currently waiting to be papered. However, American business leaders have disputed this optimism, reporting continued struggles despite record sales in the chipmaking sector.

Simultaneously, a coalition of Democratic lawmakers and Republican Representative John Moolenaar are urging Trump to confront Xi over national security concerns. The lawmakers point to a U.S. assessment that Chinese companies provided satellite imagery used in a July Iranian strike on a Jordanian airbase, which killed three U.S. soldiers. While the United States Department of State sanctioned four China-based entities in May for similar activities, the Government of China denies that its state-owned companies support Iran's war effort.

Trump has signaled a less confrontational approach than the lawmakers demand, previously stating that Xi has behaved reasonably well and noting that both nations engage in spying. In contrast, Moolenaar has characterized the Chinese cooperation with Iran as an act of war against the United States.