Opinion

Xi-Trump meet: big smiles, little progress

The lack of trust between the US and China was evident during trade talk, which only resulted in the two sides agreeing to extend their trade truce

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Con Coughlin
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Xi-Trump meet: big smiles, little progress

Con Coughlin
last update on

US President Donald Trump may hope that, by providing Chinese President Xi Jinping a red-carpet welcome during his three-day state visit to the US, he will be able to place relations between Washington and Beijing on a more constructive footing.

The main purpose of Xi’s three-day state visit to the US has been to find common ground on trade disputes, AI and broader strategic issues including the war in the Middle East. But for that to happen, the two leaders must overcome the deep levels of mistrust that have developed between the two countries as a result of the bitter rivalry that has developed in their respective bids to become the world’s dominant power.

If the aim of the visit was to begin a new chapter in relations between the two countries, initial indications suggest the meeting was a success, at least in the positive statements both leaders made during the lavish state banquet Trump hosted at the White House on Thursday night. With both Beijing and Washington keen to establish a degree of stability in their relations, both leaders stressed the need for closer cooperation between Washington and Beijing.

Addressing the audience of prominent American business leaders and tech entrepreneurs assembled at the White House, Xi said the US and China "must act as responsible major countries to meet the expectations of our peoples". Xi thanked Trump for receiving him and his wife with "meticulous care and consideration", making them "feel truly at home", adding that the two leaders were "making history in our bilateral engagements".

"We agreed to build a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability," Xi said, adding that the two shared "sincere and in-depth exchanges" that would strengthen relations between the two countries.

For his part, Trump thanked Xi for making the long trip to the US, and said the relationship between the two men was strong. "We've never gotten along better," Trump declared at one point, before raising a toast to a future of "harmony, peace and success" for both nations.

The American leader also presented Xi with a sculpture of a bald eagle, America's national symbol, saying it embodied "the free and soaring spirit of America".

"We hope it will find a nice, wonderful place in Beijing. It's your honour," he said, adding that he and First Lady Melania had participated in the design of the sculpture.

There was little evidence that substantive progress had been made on some of the key issues facing the rival powers, such as trade, AI and the future of Taiwan

Stumbling blocks

But while both leaders stressed the need for more stability in their relationship, there was little evidence that substantive progress had been made on some of the key issues facing the rival powers, such as trade, AI and the future of Taiwan.

This is the second time the two leaders have met this year, after Trump travelled to Beijing in May, during which they negotiated a trade truce. Yet, despite this breakthrough, tensions between the two leaders have remained, not least because of China's continued military and economic support for Russia and Iran.

US intelligence is also increasingly concerned about Beijing's attempts to gain access to American AI technology, which could be used by China to gain a commercial advantage over the US in the race to become the dominant force in AI technology.

A report by the US Cyber Defence Agency published earlier this month accused Chinese AI companies of deliberately attempting to acquire AI technology developed by their American rivals. The warning was issued as part of the Trump administration's effort to persuade leading US AI firms to guard against China's "malicious activities".

The lack of trust between the two countries was evident during the opening round of trade talks between American and Chinese officials on the eve of Xi's visit, which only resulted in the two sides agreeing to extend their trade truce, which had been due to expire on 10 November, for another two months. Under the initial arrangement, both sides agreed to roll back restrictions on critical minerals and high-tech exports that had threatened to cripple global supply chains. They also extended a pause on their triple-digit tariffs. 

Xi, who is under increasing pressure because of China's faltering economy, had been hoping for an extension of at least another year. But by limiting the extension to just two months, US officials are signalling that key disputes on tariffs, China's dominance of rare earth supplies and access to advanced US chips will need to be resolved at yet another round of negotiations.

US officials said they agreed to a limited extension because they were concerned about Beijing's willingness to keep to its part of the deal. This follows reports that Chinese exports of rare earth materials to the US have declined in recent weeks, raising concerns about Beijing's commitment to the trade truce. 

While Xi and Trump have shown they can maintain an amicable relationship in public, the rivalry between the US and China remains as intense as ever

Washington's angst 

Craig Singleton, a former national security official with deep expertise on US-China relations, told the BBC that the short extension is likely a reflection of Washington's angst over China living up to its commitments.

"Beijing wanted a much longer period of predictability, while Washington has preserved an early opportunity to test Chinese performance and reassess its leverage."

In an interview with Fox News, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was equally sceptical about Beijing's willingness to respect its trade commitments, explaining that the short extension will "give us more time to see what we can do on the economic front," adding that both countries are still trying to hash out a potentially larger deal.

"I don't know whether a bigger deal can be done. I don't know whether we will just roll the current deal," Bessent added.

Nor has any significant progress been made on two of the other key issues, Taiwan and closer cooperation on AI, during the bilateral talks. On AI, Xi said that both countries must "ensure that the development of AI is always ​under human control" while Trump, writing a Truth Social post, said he had little interest in introducing new regulations, saying "I want to leave it exactly where it is."

Nor were there any signs of progress on the thorny issue of Taiwan, where the Trump administration is poised to approve a $14bn arms sale. Xi has voiced his opposition to the move, stressing that China regards Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out using force to gain control over the island.

So, while Xi and Trump have shown they can maintain an amicable relationship in public, behind the scenes, the rivalry between the US and China remains as intense as ever.  

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Related topics China American foreign policy Xi Jinping Donald Trump
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