News Analysis
When the White House and China’s Ministry of Commerce released their summaries of last month’s Trump–Xi summit in Beijing, they read in places like accounts of two different meetings.
U.S. President Donald Trump (4th R), Secretary of State Marco Rubio (3rd R), and other U.S. officials meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
U.S. President Donald Trump (4th R), Secretary of State Marco Rubio (3rd R), and other U.S. officials meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images
Behind the Trump–Xi Handshake, an Architecture of Distrust
Washington has stopped expecting China to reform and is walling off its tech and tariff weapons, even as it keeps everyday trade flowing, analysts say.
Behind the Trump–Xi Handshake, an Architecture of Distrust
Washington has stopped expecting China to reform and is walling off its tech and tariff weapons, even as it keeps everyday trade flowing, analysts say.
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