“Partners, not adversaries” was the theme of high-stakes talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday. Both leaders expressed the desire to bolster economic ties to create what Xi called a “new vision” for the U.S.-China relationship. However, thinly veiled threats about Taiwan alongside Trump’s weakened position at home overshadowed the summit’s veneer of cooperation.
Xi warned Trump on Thursday that any disagreement over Taiwan could harm bilateral relations—and even lead to conflict. “If [the Taiwan question] is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability,” a Chinese readout of the meeting said. “Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”
“Partners, not adversaries” was the theme of high-stakes talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday. Both leaders expressed the desire to bolster economic ties to create what Xi called a “new vision” for the U.S.-China relationship. However, thinly veiled threats about Taiwan alongside Trump’s weakened position at home overshadowed the summit’s veneer of cooperation.
Xi warned Trump on Thursday that any disagreement over Taiwan could harm bilateral relations—and even lead to conflict. “If [the Taiwan question] is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability,” a Chinese readout of the meeting said. “Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”
Ahead of the summit, analysts suspected that Trump would try to downplay U.S. ties with Taiwan to secure favorable trade deals with China. But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed these concerns on Thursday, stressing that the U.S. position on Taiwan had not changed.
The White House readout of the meeting did not mention Taiwan at all and instead focused heavily on trade. “The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between our two countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into our industries,” it said.
Yet no major trade deals were announced, including a potential deal on rare earths or investments in artificial intelligence. Trump did say Xi had agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets, and the White House readout said the two leaders pledged to work toward ending the flow of fentanyl precursors from China into the United States.
Read more in today’s World Brief: Day 1 of Beijing Summit Produces No Big Wins for Trump.
This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration. Follow along here.
