Trump envoy Steve Daines to return to Beijing as US and China lock in Xi summit agenda

US Senator Steve Daines, a Republican from Montana, is set to return to China for further talks ahead of President Xi Jinping's September visit to Washington. The purpose of Daines' trip is to finalize the agenda for the highly anticipated summit between Xi and US President Donald Trump. Daines, who previously visited Beijing in May, has served as an important intermediary between Washington and Beijing, helping to stabilize relations and narrow differences on key issues expected to dominate the upcoming summit.

Both sides recognize Daines' crucial role as a communication channel between President Trump and the Chinese side. Officials are now working through a checklist of understandings reached during Trump's and Xi's May meeting in Beijing, with the aim of turning several of them into concrete deliverables for the Washington summit. Key topics include agreements on AI safety cooperation, the creation of bilateral trade and investment boards, and refining a roughly $30 billion tariff-free trade package covering critical minerals, semiconductors, and chip issues.

Artificial intelligence is expected to be a prominent topic during Xi's visit. The two leaders discussed AI in May, and officials are now preparing a formal bilateral AI dialogue in September as one of the main follow-ups to their meeting. Beyond economics, officials are also expected to discuss the ongoing US-Iran war, the five-year-long Ukraine conflict, and the sensitive issue of Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory and is opposed to any attempts to take it by force.

Planning for Xi's state visit to Washington is progressing smoothly, with open communication channels between both sides. The current plan includes a formal state banquet hosted by President Trump and an extended small-group session for the most sensitive strategic issues. However, there is uncertainty regarding whether Xi will also attend the UN General Assembly in New York, as the diplomatic value of a New York stop is diminishing this year due to the UN gathering being a non-major anniversary year and recent US trade tensions.