China in May 2026: the most important developments in politics
China in May 2026 was dominated by US President Donald Trump's state visit to Beijing and his summit with Xi Jinping from 13 to 15 May, the first such meeting hosted in China in nearly a decade. Trump travelled with a delegation of US business leaders. The agenda covered trade, Iran and Taiwan. Xi warned that mishandling Taiwan could risk a clash, while Trump said he had not conceded on the issue and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US policy was unchanged. China said it agreed in principle with the US to lower tariffs on some products and to set up trade and investment bodies, and both leaders described a commitment to "strategic stability". Beijing later warned against Taiwan independence, and President Lai Ching-te said the island would not be sacrificed. At month end China expelled a reporter over a New York Times interview with Lai.
Xi then hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on 19 and 20 May. The two leaders issued a joint statement on Ukraine, agreed to strengthen trade and economic cooperation and to extend visa-free travel until 2027, and discussed a gas pipeline project. Xi called for a halt to fighting in the Middle East but not in Ukraine.
The war involving Iran ran through the month. China called for a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on 6 May, and proposed a four-point peace plan. Trump and Xi agreed that Iran should not have nuclear weapons. Xi later thanked Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for mediating between Iran and the United States, and Beijing said a deal to end the war would go to the UN Security Council.
Elsewhere, Beijing's exchanges with Japan stayed tense, including at the Shangri-La Dialogue. Britain summoned China's ambassador over spying convictions, and China protested. China sentenced two former defence ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe, to death with a two-year reprieve for bribery. The EU warned that its trade relationship with China was not sustainable, and China said it would take necessary measures.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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