Iran conflict, Russia link, rare earth battle: What is at stake for India behind Trump-Xi meeting

As Trump heads to Beijing, the talks between Washington and Beijing are expected to go far beyond trade, touching issues that stretch from energy security to international military conflicts. For countries such as India, the outcome could gradually change parts of the strategic environment in the months ahead.

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump is heading to China this week for a visit that is being followed in international diplomatic circles. The trip is important not just because he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping after a long time, but also because it could affect ongoing conflicts and changing power balances around the world.

Trump is scheduled to be in China from May 13 to 15, with a high-level meeting planned with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The White House confirmed that the president will leave on Wednesday (May 13) evening, with official engagements beginning on Thursday (May 14) morning with an opening ceremony and the visit wrapping up on Friday (May 15).

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said the trip carries strong symbolic weight and is aimed at resetting parts of the US-China relationship. She said the purpose is to bring balance back into ties with China and focus on fair economic exchanges to support what Washington calls American economic independence.

This will be the first visit by a US President to China in nearly nine years, making it one of the most tracked diplomatic events in recent times. The timing of the meeting adds more weight, as it comes at a moment when West Asia is dealing with tensions involving Iran and Europe is affected by the Ukraine war.

Iran, Russia and rare earths on the table

Senior US officials have said that Trump is expected to raise several sensitive issues during his talks with Xi Jinping. One of the main topics is Iran, especially China’s role in purchasing Iranian oil and dual-use goods that can serve both civilian and military purposes.

Washington is also expected to bring up geopolitical alignment between Beijing, Tehran and Moscow. China’s continued economic and strategic support to Russia and Iran has become a concern for the United States, and these issues are likely to come up in talks.

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Energy routes may also feature in the talks. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, following US and Israeli strikes, has disrupted a major maritime energy route. With China being one of the largest energy consumers and Iran an important supplier, Washington is expected to seek Beijing’s position on the crisis.

Another major issue expected on the table is rare earth minerals. These materials are critical for technology manufacturing, defence systems and advanced electronics. China’s dominant position in the world’s rare earth supply chain has long been a concern for Washington. Trump has previously spoken about it publicly.

Business leaders join Trump’s delegation

The visit is also being accompanied by a large business delegation. According to the White House, more than a dozen leaders from technology, finance, defence and consumer sectors will travel with the president.

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The list includes Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Cargill CEO Brian Sikes, Citi CEO Jane Fraser, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, Coherent CEO Jim Anderson, GE Aerospace CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon, Illumina CEO Jacob Thaysen, Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, Meta executive Dina Powell McCormick, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon and Visa CEO Ryan McInerney.

Officials say the presence of such major corporate leaders shows the economic weight of the talks expected during the visit, covering sectors such as aerospace, agriculture, energy and international payments.

Trade, security and changing international balance

Speaking from the Oval Office ahead of his departure, Trump said he maintains a strong working relationship with Xi Jinping and suggested that the talks would focus on trade and economic outcomes.

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“We are doing a lot of business but it is mostly smart business. We used to be taken advantage of for years with our previous presidents, but now we are doing great with China, we are making a lot of money with China,” he said.

US officials added that the talks will include a US-China Board of Trade and Board of Investment, along with new agreements across industries.

Why India is alert

The meeting is also being watched in New Delhi. Experts believe the outcome of the Trump-Xi talks could influence India’s strategic space, especially if the United States and China move towards either closer coordination or more competition.

According to analyst Happymon Jacob, both extremes carry implications for India. He said an overly close US-China understanding could reduce India’s strategic importance, while an open confrontation could pressure New Delhi to take clearer positions.

In his view, a controlled competition between Washington and Beijing works best for India’s foreign policy interests.

India presently balances a complex relationship with both powers. China is a long-standing security concern for India, while the United States is an important partner in technology, defence and international trade systems. At the same time, both relationships have seen friction in recent years, including tariff disputes, defence disagreements and changing diplomatic positions.

Jacob also said that India’s ideal situation lies in a structured rivalry between the two world powers rather than either extreme of close cooperation or full confrontation.

As Trump heads to Beijing, the talks between Washington and Beijing are expected to go far beyond trade, touching issues that stretch from energy security to international military conflicts. For countries such as India, the outcome could gradually change parts of the strategic environment in the months ahead.