Trump and China's Xi set for talks

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to discuss Iran, Taiwan, artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons as they weigh extending a critical minerals deal, according to U.S. officials previewing Trump's two-day visit to China this week.



The leaders of the world's two largest economies will hold their first face-to-face talks in more than six months as they try to stabilize ties strained by trade, the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran and other areas of disagreement.



Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday, ahead of talks set to take place Thursday and Friday.



It will be his first trip to China since 2017.



The U.S. and China are expected to agree to forums to facilitate mutual trade and investment, while China is expected to announce purchases related to Boeing airplanes, American agriculture and energy.



Plans for a Board of Trade and Board of Investment may be formally announced at the meeting, but those mechanisms may need subsequent work before they can be implemented.



The two countries will also discuss lengthening a truce in their trade war that allows rare earth minerals to flow from China to the U.S., though it is not yet clear if that agreement will be extended this week.



Acocrding to officials they expressed confidence that the deal, which was struck last autumn and remains in effect, will eventually be extended.