Trump, Xi conclude Washington summit with extended trade truce, pledge to maintain dialogue

I.S. Saluja

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded Xi’s three-day state visit to Washington on Friday, September 25, with the two leaders pledging to maintain dialogue between the world’s two largest economies and agreeing to extend their existing trade truce, but announcing few major breakthroughs on the difficult issues dividing the United States and China.

Xi’s visit, his first state visit to the United States in 11 years, included talks at the White House, a state dinner hosted by President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, and a visit by the two leaders to the National Archives. Trump described the discussions as productive, while Xi emphasized the importance of preventing competition between the two countries from developing into confrontation.

Trade was among the principal subjects of the talks. The two governments agreed to extend for two months a trade truce that had been due to expire in November, giving negotiators additional time to address tariffs, Chinese purchases of American goods, rare-earth supplies and other outstanding economic disputes. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said further details of the trade negotiations are expected to be released Monday.

The leaders also discussed artificial intelligence, Taiwan and international security issues. No major agreement was announced on Taiwan or the wider technological competition between the two countries. The summit therefore appeared to preserve a measure of stability in U.S.-China relations rather than resolve the principal strategic differences between them.

Iran also figured in the discussions. According to the U.S. ambassador to China, Trump told Xi that Chinese assistance to Iran would be unacceptable and received assurances that Beijing would not provide such support.

The visit placed considerable emphasis on personal diplomacy. Trump hosted Xi at a formal White House state dinner attended by senior U.S. officials and leading business and technology executives. The two presidents also held further informal discussions over tea before visiting the National Archives on the final day of the visit.

Both sides indicated that high-level contacts would continue. Trump said he expects to meet Xi again in China in November and at the G20 gathering in Florida in December, providing further opportunities for negotiations on the unresolved economic and strategic issues.

The immediate outcome of the Washington meeting was therefore an extension of the trade truce and a commitment to continued engagement, rather than a comprehensive settlement of U.S.-China differences. The two governments remain divided over trade, technology, Taiwan and other strategic questions, but the summit demonstrated their willingness to keep negotiations open and manage their competition through continued dialogue.