US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping seemed to put sources of tension between their countries to the side during the second day of Xi’s three-day visit to the United States, where he met with Trump and toured the White House. Trump touted what he described as a “great meeting” with Xi on Thursday, as the two superpowers seek greater dialogue despite differences over issues such as Iran, Taiwan, AI and trade. Here are a few key takeaways from Xi’s second day in the US.
When Trump first returned to the White House, he announced severe tariffs on Chinese goods that quickly set off a trade war between the world’s two largest economies and warnings of wider fallout around the globe. Despite such a rocky start, Trump and Xi have sought to dial back tensions and improve their personal ties, even if there is an understanding that core areas of disagreement aren’t likely to change. The US president has sometimes talked about China’s status as a rising power as a source of admiration, even as those changes bring it into competition with the US.
For his part, Xi stated on Thursday that the US and China should take steps to avoid the “Thucydides Trap”, a term used by international relations scholars regarding the risk of conflict between a rising power and an existing power. While Xi’s visit is focused on improving ties with Trump and the US, several issues have also been at the centre of discussions between the two leaders. One is the US war on Iran, which was launched by the US and Israel in February and has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and surging global energy prices.
Trump has called on China to support US efforts to isolate Tehran economically and reopen the strait, which was open before the war. Beijing, Iran’s largest trading partner, has been hesitant to get involved. No breakthroughs on the issue were reported during talks between Trump and Xi on Thursday, with the Chinese president stating that he supported the US and Iran returning to an interim agreement that was supposed to pave the way for a larger peace deal.
That truce broke down shortly after it was announced in June. While Xi’s visit to the US has been marked by pomp and ceremony, some Democratic and Republican lawmakers have complained that the spectacle amounts to a celebration of a US rival. That line of criticism was shared by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who said that Trump “always deludes himself into thinking that, by ingratiating himself with authoritarians, he’s somehow going to get his way”.
Others said that diplomacy between the US and China is a positive thing that will help the two powers avoid potentially disastrous conflict. During their meeting on Thursday, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Xi urged Trump to oppose Taiwanese independence and handle the issue “prudently”. The White House has yet to release its own summary of the talks and remarks on Taiwan.
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