Experts who spoke to the BBC said any major breakthroughs on AI or other issues are unlikely to occur during the Trump-Xi meetings this week.
Then there is Taiwan, which remains a diplomatic thorn.
The US Congress has approved a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan that awaits Trump’s signature. He has held off for now, viewing the move as a bargaining chip with China.
Beijing has long vowed to “reunify” with self-governing Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force.
Firestein said he expects Xi will be looking for Trump to either commit to extending the delay of the arms sale or somehow avoiding the sale altogether.
Xi – like Trump – is also facing economic headwinds at home, and is expected to use this visit to discuss deepening US-China trade.
However, that presents a potential political problem for Trump. Some members of his cabinet and his supporters view China with deep suspicion.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a letter, external to Ford Motor Company in September, urging the company to cut ties with China due to national security concerns and protection of American jobs.
Regardless of the clear hurdles that remain before any new US-China deals are inked, it is clear that Trump views personal contact with Xi as vital to the process.
“Trump has made a decision that no matter what, we need to not have a confrontational relationship with China,” Stephen Orlins, president at the National Committee on US-China Relations, said.
“He believes that the more he and President Xi meet, the less confrontational that relationship will be,” Orlins continued, “and he is right.”
With additional reporting by Daniel Bush, Washington correspondent
