Trump and Xi end Beijing talks as trade, Taiwan tensions persist
Trump left Beijing touting “fantastic trade deals,” but the summit produced warmer optics than a clear break on Taiwan, trade, or Iran.
Trump ended two days of talks in Beijing with Xi Jinping having projected goodwill, but the hard scorecard remained mixed: warm public gestures and talk of “fantastic trade deals” on one side, and unresolved friction over Taiwan, tariffs, rare earths and market access on the other.
The final round of talks came Friday after a Thursday bilateral that lasted more than two hours and an earlier state banquet. Trump said he wanted to “deepen ties” between the world’s two largest economies, yet the White House had not released full details of any agreement as he prepared to head back to the United States. The summit was Trump’s first trip to China since 2017 and the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to China in nearly a decade.
Trade dominated the agenda, with Trump pressing Beijing to reopen trade flows, buy more American farm goods and passenger aircraft, and consider a possible board to manage disputes. The meeting also covered technology, Taiwan and the war in Iran, reflecting how commercial tensions and strategic risk are now intertwined in the relationship. Business leaders including Elon Musk, Tim Cook and Jensen Huang traveled with Trump, underscoring how closely companies are watching for any extension of a trade truce or easing of market pressure.
Taiwan remained the sharpest political fault line. Xi warned that mishandling the issue could push the United States and China toward conflict, even as the two leaders tried to preserve a friendly public front. That contrast defined the summit: high-level diplomacy aimed at stability, without any sign that the underlying dispute over sovereignty had narrowed.
Trump also said Xi indicated willingness to help with the war in Iran and assured him China would not provide Iran with military equipment. The issue carried added weight because China is Iran’s largest oil buyer, and Washington has been trying to curb Tehran’s room to maneuver. The leaders closed with a friendship walk in Zhongnanhai, followed by a working tea and lunch, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi saw Trump off at the airport. The choreography was polished; the deeper differences stayed in place.
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