What China critics in Maga movement make of Trump's Beijing trip

May 15, 2026

President Trump recently visited Beijing for a summit with President Xi Jinping, marking a dramatic shift in tone from his years of aggressive anti-China rhetoric and escalating tariffs that reached 145% by April 2025. While Trump declared the relationship would be "better than ever before" and announced some business deals involving Nvidia, Boeing, and Citi, major substantive breakthroughs were limited and critical issues remain unresolved. The most significant outstanding matter involves a delayed $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which Taiwan considers essential but China views as a threat to the entire bilateral relationship.

Who is affected

President Donald Trump and his administration officials
President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government
Taiwan (regarding the $14bn arms sale)
US chipmaker Nvidia, Boeing, and Citi (beneficiaries of trade deals)
Three Chinese firms sanctioned by the US State Department
Bipartisan group of senators advocating for Taiwan arms sale
Republican lawmakers and China hawks
Trump's political base and supporters
Iran (mentioned in connection with sanctioned Chinese firms)
US forces in the Middle East

What action is being taken

The US State Department sanctioned three Chinese firms for providing satellite imagery to Iran
Nvidia is being given approval to sell semiconductors to 10 Chinese companies
Boeing is securing an order for 200 aircraft
Citi is being granted approval to operate a securities business in China
Congress members are writing letters urging the administration to approve arms sales to Taiwan
Senior administration officials are appearing before Congress and being questioned about Taiwan arms sales

Why it matters

This matters because it represents a fundamental shift in US-China relations under Trump's second term, moving from confrontation to potential cooperation between the world's two largest economies. The Taiwan arms sale decision is particularly significant as it could either facilitate or derail future diplomatic engagement, including Xi's planned White House visit in September. The change in approach also matters because Trump's top-down leadership style means his softened tone will likely influence Republican lawmakers, administration officials, and his political base. Additionally, experts note that eight years of aggressive tariffs and confrontational tactics have failed to resolve core issues like market access, intellectual property rights, and subsidies, suggesting the need for a different strategic approach.

What's next

Trump will make a determination about the $14bn Taiwan arms sale "over the next fairly short period"
President Xi Jinping is planned to visit the White House in September
Congress will continue to write letters urging the administration to approve arms sales to Taiwan
Senior administration officials will continue to be questioned about the status of Taiwan arms sales each time they appear before Congress

Read full article from source: BBC