Why are more U.S. allies exploring ties with China?

U.S. President Donald Trump is visiting Beijing this week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time in nearly a decade. Since Trump returned to office in 2025, several U.S. allies have made similar trips, sending a clear message to Washington: An unstable geopolitical environment and unreliable U.S. support is driving them to bolster their relationships with other countries. 

Engaging more with China appears to be a critical component of this strategy. European leaders and other close U.S. allies, like Canada and the United Kingdom (UK), met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this year for first time since Trump’s first term. Irish leader Micheál Martin’s January meeting with Xi in Beijing was the first of its kind in fourteen years. According to an analysis by Semafor, trips by Western officials constitute about half of all diplomatic visits to China during Trump’s second term so far. Visits to China by U.S. Indo-Pacific allies, such as Australia and South Korea, have picked up in the past year as well.

Given the U.S. president’s decision to travel to China, CFR examined which countries have met with Beijing since 2025, the major themes that were discussed, and whether it has shaped any new agreements.

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