In a nutshell: Trump met with Xi Jinping in Beijing, but announced only a few concrete agreements. The soybean and Boeing sales were presented vaguely, while Beijing did not confirm them. Controversial: Trump signaled openness to reviewing weapons sales to Taiwan, which contradicts long-standing U.S. policy.
During his two-day visit to Beijing, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared satisfied with his discussions with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. But how much the two sides have actually agreed to remains unclear. At a press conference aboard Air Force One, Trump revealed only few concrete agreements.
During his return to the United States, Trump disclosed little in the way of substantive agreements. Regarding the soybean agreement, Trump limited himself to vague assurances that China would purchase “billions of dollars” in products. He presented the sale of 200 Boeing aircraft as a success, although this represents less than half of what analysts expected. Beijing has not confirmed either agreement to date, and Boeing declined to comment.
Trump confirmed that the two leaders had discussed possible cooperation on “safeguards” for the development of Artificial Intelligence. Contrary to White House assurances that Taiwan policy was not on the agenda, Trump revealed that the two sides had discussed the U.S. relationship with the island at length.
Particularly controversial: Trump signaled openness to reconsidering U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan – a long-standing Chinese demand. This contradicts Washington’s traditional commitment to supplying the island with defensive weapons against potential Chinese attacks. “I will make a decision in the foreseeable future,” Trump said.
The “monumental event” announced by Trump failed to materialize. Instead, a fragile but stable trade agreement emerged – far removed from the trade war of the previous year. The Trump administration achieved its main goal: maintaining the status quo, in which tariffs on Chinese goods are comparable worldwide.
According to Craig Singleton, China expert at the conservative think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, “the summit delivered limited, presentable and controlled results – about as much as the U.S.-China relationship can currently bear.”