Donald Trump's visit to Beijing, the first by a US president in nearly a decade, concluded with much fanfare but little concrete information on what was achieved. Trump claimed he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping 'settled a lot of different problems,' but offered few details on the solutions.
Analysts expressed scepticism about the summit's significance. Amanda Hsiao, China director at the Eurasia Group, said: 'Despite all the ceremony and summit theatrics, at the end of the day, this summit will not be that significant. The core of the relationship hasn't changed.' The Chinese readout of the final bilateral meeting gave little concrete information, leading to the summit being dubbed the 'stalemate summit'.
On Iran, Trump said the two leaders discussed the issue and felt similarly about wanting to end the conflict and prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. However, China did not commit to further support. Trump also said he was considering lifting sanctions on Chinese companies that purchase Iranian oil, with a decision expected in the coming days.
Regarding Taiwan, Trump told Fox News he was still considering whether to proceed with a major arms package worth $14bn (£10.5bn). Observers had expected little movement, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted there had been no policy shift. Trump said he made no commitment to Xi on Taiwan, despite Xi warning that Taiwan was the 'most important' issue in bilateral relations.
On trade, Trump claimed he made 'fantastic trade deals' with Xi, but details remain unclear. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said he expected China to buy 'double-digit billions' worth of US farm goods over the next three years, though China has not confirmed this. China also agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets, with Trump later suggesting the number could rise to 750. However, no comprehensive deal to restore normal trade was reached, and a truce on the tariff war is set to expire in November.
China's restriction on rare earth exports, a key bargaining chip, was partially lifted in October, but Greer said China was still slow to approve export licenses, sometimes requiring US intervention on behalf of affected companies.
