Trump, Xi Discuss Potential 'Birthday Summit' Amid Rising Trade Tensions: Report

The U.S. and China are in early talks for a potential “birthday summit” between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in June.

What Happened: According to the Wall Street Journal, the discussions come as the Trump administration escalates tariffs and trade measures against China, aiming to gain leverage in negotiations.

The summit, timed around the leaders’ June birthdays—Trump on June 14, 1946, and Xi on June 15, 1953—could introduce goodwill amid trade tensions that have rattled global markets. Both leaders have shown interest in a summit since Trump's November election victory, though no firm plans have been made.

Beijing is reportedly keen to negotiate, hoping a summit might slow additional U.S. tariffs and technology restrictions. China's recent export data fell below expectations, and the country faces deflation. The Trump administration recently raised tariffs on Chinese imports to around 35%, citing China's role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis, WSJ reports.

See Also: China Hits Its Largest US Import, Soybeans, With Tariffs Along With Other Agricultural Products: Here’s A List Of Stocks, ETFs That Could Be Impacted

Why It Matters: Geo-political relations between the U.S. and China haven’t improved since Trump won the 2024 presidential election.

Former President Joe Biden met President Xi once in the days following Trump’s election victory—in Lima, Peru. Before that, they convened in 2023 to discuss the global economy, supply chain disruptions, and rising protectionism as "grave problems."

"China and United States turning back on each other is not an option," Xi said at the time.

But once Trump was sworn into office in January, imposing tariffs on all Chinese imports was a top priority. As recently as March 4, the Trump White House doubled the levy on Chinese imports to 20%.

China clapped back with its own retaliatory tariffs, per the Associated Press, last week.

At a news conference during China’s annual parliamentary session on Friday, March 7, China’s top foreign policy official, Wang Yi, positioned Beijing as a stabilizing global force while criticizing the U.S. as “two-faced.”

Wang emphasized China’s role as a global “anchor” as opposed to the U.S.

The potential summit marks a critical moment in U.S.-China relations, as both sides navigate economic, technological, and strategic rivalries.

ETFs To Watch: Notable exchange-traded funds to watch include the iShares MSCI China ETF MCHI, which allocates the biggest chunk of its holdings to Shenzhen, China-based Tencent Holdings Ltd TCEHY.

There’s also SPDR S&P China ETF GXC and Invesco China Technology ETF CQQQ, which are both particularly sensitive to geopolitical developments.

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