Trump rolls out the red carpet for Xi – but new information about Chinese support for Iran could disrupt the prosperity

Not since 1962 has a foreign leader been welcomed so grandly in Washington as Xi Jinping on Thursday. But the pleasant atmosphere that Trump wants to create can be disturbed by new information about extensive Chinese support for Iran's weapons industry. An excerpt from The Daily News, 2026-09-24 13:25 Original source of the article: https://www.dn.se/varlden/trump-rullar-ut-roda-mattan-for-xi-men-nya-uppgifter-om-kinesiskt-stod-till-iran-kan-stora-trivseln/ Trump rolls out the red carpet for Xi – but new information about Chinese support for Iran can disturb the prosperity Get more from DN as logged in Do you know you can create a free account on DN? As a logged-in user you can access several smart features. - Follow your interests - Newsletter The red carpet had been rolled out, a military band played and Chinese and American flags waved. Xi Jinping was cordially welcomed when he and his wife Peng Liyuan landed in Washington on Thursday evening. In an unusual turn, the Chinese leader was personally welcomed by the American President Donald Trump at the Joint Base Andrews airfield. It is the first time since 1962 that an American president has gone to the airfield to receive a foreign leader. Back then it was John F. Kennedy who welcomed the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. The gesture shows that Donald Trump really wants to impress Xi Jinping and have a successful meeting. Even before they sit down in the White House later in the afternoon, the two countries have agreed on a prolonged arms truce in the trade war. Donald Trump also hopes to get Xi Jinping to agree to export more rare earth minerals to the USA. They are needed in almost all high-tech manufacturing and China dominates production. In return, Xi Jinping will push for the USA to postpone a significant weapons delivery to Taiwan, which Congress has already approved. Even before the meeting it is clear that Donald Trump wants to show that the two leaders are in good agreement. He often calls Xi Jinping his good friend with whom he has good relations. But several voices are raised that he should be tougher on China. Among others, they want to see tougher pressure on China regarding the support it gives to the Russian and Iranian war apparatus, which the Chinese leader denies. If Trump wants this, he can point to information that The Wall Street Journal reveals in an extensive investigation published almost at the same time as Xi Jinping landed in Washington. The newspaper reveals that in thousands of instances over the last year, China has exported parts that can be used for manufacturing missiles and drones to Iran, according to the investigation based on information from the Iranian customs. While China has outwardly promoted peace, a stream of airplanes loaded with components for the weapons industry landed in the Iranian capital Tehran. China is said to have engaged in a form of double-dealing. When the USA and Iran signed a peace agreement in the summer, China not only welcomed the agreement but also claimed to have contributed to it by contacting its contacts in the Middle East. But the same day an airplane loaded with Chinese electronic components for the Iranian weapons industry landed, according to the newspaper. That Chinese exports contribute components that ultimately can kill American soldiers should disturb Donald Trump. The arms truce is broken and the war, which pushes up oil and gasoline prices, seems to be a drag for the Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections. The question is whether Trump will want to disturb the mood. When Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously accused China and Russia of supporting Iran, Trump downplayed it and said he trusted Xi Jinping. And from the Chinese side, the official stance is that the country is not involved in the conflict in Iran and that they support all efforts for peace. Read more: AI can become a new source of conflict when Trump and China's Xi Jinping meet