More for public relations than anything else
Two of the world's most consequential leaders met this week in Beijing's Zhongnanhai compound, where the ancient and the urgent coexist, to negotiate the terms of a rivalry that will shape the coming century. Donald Trump departed claiming victory — aircraft orders, agricultural deals, shared commitments on regional shipping — while Xi Jinping quietly reminded him that some questions, particularly Taiwan, carry consequences neither side can fully control. The summit produced enough ceremony to call a success and enough unresolved tension to ensure the conversation is far from over.
- Trump left Beijing declaring the summit 'incredible' and the deals 'fantastic,' but markets told a different story — Boeing shares fell more than 4 percent when the aircraft order came in well below expectations.
- Xi's private warning that mishandling Taiwan could push relations to 'a very dangerous place' cut through the garden walks and rose-seed diplomacy with unmistakable sharpness.
- On rare earths — the minerals at the heart of US-China industrial rivalry — the US trade representative offered only a 'passing grade,' signaling that Beijing's compliance remains grudging and incomplete.
- Trump's impatience with Iran broke through the diplomatic frame, with the president warning Tehran from Beijing that his patience was nearly exhausted and acknowledging that seizing enriched uranium was 'more for public relations than anything else.'
- A one-year trade truce expires in October, semiconductor chip controls remain unresolved, and the summit's most visible omission — not a single woman at either delegation's negotiating table — drew tens of thousands of responses online.
Donald Trump left Beijing on Friday claiming victory, having spent two days alongside Xi Jinping in the Zhongnanhai compound — the walled heart of Chinese power beside the Forbidden City. The two leaders walked through the compound's gardens before their formal sessions, and Xi promised to send Trump rose seeds as a parting gesture of diplomatic warmth. Trump called the summit 'incredible' and said problems had been solved that 'other people wouldn't have been able to.'
Beneath the cordiality, sharper messages were exchanged. In a closed session lasting more than two hours, Xi warned that mishandling Taiwan could push the relationship into 'a very dangerous place.' When Trump later posted that Xi had called the United States a declining nation, he quickly reframed the remark as a reference to the Biden years — a moment of visible defensiveness about how the summit was being read.
The concrete results were uneven. China agreed to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft — the first major commercial jet order in nearly a decade — but markets had anticipated 500 or more, and Boeing shares fell over 4 percent. The White House also announced double-digit billions in agricultural sales, a figure with clear appeal to Trump's rural base ahead of midterms. Both sides agreed on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, a shared interest given China's reliance on Middle Eastern oil.
On rare earths, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer offered a notably modest assessment, saying China had improved shipments but was still slow on export licenses — 'a passing grade,' he called it. He suggested both sides had willingness to extend the trade truce past its October expiration, but confirmed that semiconductor chip controls — a central point of contention — had not been meaningfully addressed.
Trump's impatience with Iran cut through the diplomatic messaging. Speaking to Fox News from Beijing, he warned that Tehran should 'make a deal' and that he would not be patient much longer. He candidly acknowledged that seizing Iran's enriched uranium was 'more for public relations than anything else,' an admission that complicated the stated security rationale. Greer expressed confidence that China would limit material support for Iran, describing Beijing as too pragmatic to end up 'on the wrong side.'
One detail drew significant public attention: no women sat at the negotiating table from either delegation. Harvard economist Gita Gopinath posted on X that the image represented 'a painting of the end of meritocracy,' a comment that gathered more than 33,000 likes overnight.
As Trump flew home, the summit's legacy remained open. He had his talking points — aircraft, agriculture, shipping lanes — but Taiwan, chip controls, and the deeper question of whether these two powers can coexist without escalation all remained unresolved. October's trade truce deadline will offer the first real measure of whether this week's pageantry translated into anything more durable.
Donald Trump left Beijing on Friday claiming victory. Standing beside Xi Jinping in the Zhongnanhai leadership compound—the walled-off seat of Chinese power next to the Forbidden City—the US president declared the two-day summit "incredible" and said "a lot of good has come of it." He spoke of trade deals he called "fantastic for both countries" and problems "other people wouldn't have been able to solve." The mood was cordial enough. Before their formal meeting, the two leaders had walked through the compound's gardens, where Trump remarked on the roses. Xi, in a gesture of diplomatic warmth, promised to send Trump rose seeds as a gift.
But beneath the pageantry lay sharper edges. Xi had warned Trump in a closed-door session lasting more than two hours that mishandling Taiwan—the self-governed island Beijing claims—could push the relationship into "a very dangerous place." The message was unmistakable: there were limits to cordiality. When Trump later posted on social media that Xi had called the United States a declining nation, he scrambled to reframe the comment, insisting Xi had been referring to the Biden years, not his own sixteen months in office. "Now, the United States is the hottest nation anywhere in the world," Trump wrote, a characterization that suggested some defensiveness about how the summit had been received.
The concrete results were mixed. Trump announced that China had agreed to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft—the first major US commercial jet order from Beijing in nearly a decade. But markets had expected far more, with earlier reports suggesting 500 or higher. Boeing shares fell more than 4 percent on the news. The White House also touted double-digit billions of dollars in agricultural sales to China, a figure that could appeal to Trump's rural political base ahead of midterm elections. Both sides agreed on the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and free from military control, a shared interest given China's dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
On rare earths—the critical minerals that have become a flashpoint in US-China competition—progress appeared incremental. Jamieson Greer, the US trade representative, told Bloomberg that China had improved shipments but was still dragging its feet on some export licenses. "I would give them a passing grade," he said, a notably modest endorsement. China had imposed rare earth export controls in April 2025 as retaliation for Trump's tariffs, and despite a deal struck last October, the restrictions remained tight. Greer suggested both sides had "willingness" to extend the one-year trade truce when it expires in October, provided the arrangement continued to benefit each country. But he also made clear that semiconductor chip export controls—a major point of contention—had not been a significant topic of discussion at the summit, meaning that particular standoff remained unresolved.
Trump's impatience with Iran overshadowed much of the diplomatic messaging. In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, conducted from Beijing, he said he would not "be much more patient" with Tehran and that Iranian leaders "should make a deal." He acknowledged that seizing Iran's enriched uranium—a goal Israel had demanded—was "more for public relations than it is for anything else," a candid admission that undercut the security rationale for the objective. "The other thing we could do is bomb it again," he added, referencing the military strikes that had begun on February 28. Greer expressed confidence that China would limit material support for Iran, describing Beijing as "very pragmatic" and unwilling to be "on the wrong side" of the conflict.
One detail drew sharp criticism: when Trump and Xi sat down at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday, no women occupied seats at the negotiating table from either delegation. Gita Gopinath, an economics professor at Harvard, posted on X: "A painting of the end of meritocracy: A meeting of the two largest economies and not one woman at the table." The post garnered more than 33,000 likes overnight, a visible reminder that the summit's pageantry and deal-making had unfolded within a starkly patriarchal frame.
As Trump prepared to fly back to Washington on Friday afternoon, the summit's legacy remained uncertain. He had secured some tangible announcements—aircraft orders, agricultural commitments, agreements on regional shipping lanes—but the deeper tensions that define US-China relations remained largely unaddressed. Taiwan, semiconductor controls, and the underlying question of whether the two powers could coexist without escalating conflict all hung in the balance. The trade truce that had held for a year would face its first real test in October. For now, Trump had his talking points. Whether they would translate into sustained improvement in relations, or merely delay the next round of friction, remained to be seen.
Citas Notables
We've made some fantastic trade deals for both countries. We've settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn't have been able to solve.— Donald Trump, at the Zhongnanhai compound
The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations.— Xi Jinping, in closed-door meeting with Trump
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Trump kept saying these were "fantastic" deals, but 200 Boeing jets instead of 500—that's not fantastic, is it?
It depends on what you're measuring. For Trump, the number itself matters less than the announcement. He can say China is buying American jets again after nearly a decade. But you're right—the market expected more, and Boeing's stock fell. So there's a gap between the rhetoric and what actually moved.
He also said getting Iran's uranium was "more for public relations." That's a strange thing to admit out loud.
It is. He's being honest in a way that undermines his own stated purpose. If it's mainly PR, then the security argument falls away. He's essentially saying: I want to look tough, and I'll feel better if we get it, but I'm not sure it's actually achievable or necessary.
What about the rare earths? Greer gave them a "passing grade"—that sounds like a C.
Exactly. China loosened the controls somewhat, but they're still using them as leverage. Greer had to admit the US has to "go and make our point" on individual shipments. So the April 2025 retaliation is still in effect, just less visibly.
And Taiwan—Xi basically said don't mess with this or we're in danger.
That's the real message underneath all the roses and the tea. Xi was polite about it, but he was clear: this is the line. Everything else at the summit was negotiable. Taiwan isn't.
Why did Trump feel the need to defend himself about Xi calling America declining?
Because it stung. Xi said it, and Trump heard it as a slight, even if it was technically about the Biden years. So he went on social media to rewrite the narrative—to say Xi was actually complimenting him. It's defensive.
The fact that no women were at the negotiating table—does that matter to the deals themselves?
Not to the deals. But it matters to what the image says about how power works in both countries. It's a visual statement about who gets to sit at the table when the stakes are highest.