President Trump arrived in Beijing Thursday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the meeting’s warm optics masked deep divisions between the two nations.
At the Great Hall of the People, Trump offered effusive praise, calling Xi “a great leader” and promising relations “better than ever.” Xi responded in a strikingly different register, warning that mishandling Taiwan could lead to “clashes and even conflicts,” and invoking the concept of the Thucydides Trap, the theory that a rising power displacing an established one often leads to war.
The roughly two-hour closed-door meeting covered trade, Taiwan, and Iran, though neither side offered concrete announcements. The White House suggested possible agreements on Chinese purchases of American soybeans, beef, and aircraft, as well as the establishment of a bilateral trade board. A trade truce from last year may also be extended.
Iran loomed large. The U.S.-Israel war has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, spiking global energy prices. Secretary of State Rubio urged China to leverage its position as Iran’s largest oil buyer to help resolve the crisis. Taiwan also remained contentious, with a pending $11 billion U.S. weapons package adding to Beijing’s frustration.
Trump’s delegation included top cabinet officials, tech and finance CEOs, and Elon Musk.
