Reuters reported that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt officially announced at a press conference: "I am pleased to announce that the long-awaited meeting between President Trump and President Xi in China will be held in Beijing on May 14-15."
The summit was originally scheduled for next week but was postponed due to the ongoing conflict between the United States and Israel over Iran. Levitt stated that Xi Jinping understands the reasons for the rescheduling. Levitt also revealed that Xi Jinping will arrange a return visit to Washington after the summit, where First Lady Melania Trump and President Trump will host Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the White House; the specific date will be announced later this year.
According to Polymarket data, the probability of Trump visiting China before the end of May has risen to 84%.
Summit Background: Trade Ceasefire or Tech Showdown?
The Xi-Trump Beijing Summit is one of the most important geopolitical events in 2026. The long-standing tensions between the US and China over trade tariffs, technology export controls, and the Taiwan Strait issue make this face-to-face meeting far more significant than a typical diplomatic ceremony.
Historically, financial markets have reacted sensitively before and after each US-China summit: the 2019 G20 Trump-Xi meeting briefly brought a trade ceasefire agreement to fruition, causing both the S&P 500 and Bitcoin to rise.
If Trump and Xi reach a trade ceasefire or a framework agreement on technological cooperation, market sentiment may improve significantly, and risk assets such as Bitcoin are expected to benefit; conversely, if the negotiations break down and Sino-US relations escalate again, global risk markets may come under renewed pressure.
Awaiting signals from the Beijing Summit
Levitt did not disclose a specific list of topics, but the confirmation of the summit schedule itself is a sign of de-risking (at least until May). Washington is unlikely to take more aggressive actions on its China policy for the time being, which may be a breather for the market.
