Commentary: Why do Trump and Xi keep meeting if the hard issues remain unresolved? - CNA
Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping's personal ties are doing real work, more than the modest outcomes suggest, says former SCMP editor-in-chief Wang Xiangwei.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk with China's President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Wang Xiangwei 01 Oct 2026 06:00AM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST BOSTON: How long will the bonhomie last? That is the question US-China watchers on both sides are asking after the Washington summit last week between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.Β
Most dismissed the summit as heavy on symbolism and light on substance. The two leaders agreed to extend the trade truce by just two months and to start a dialogue on AI, while kicking the can down the road on harder issues such as China's support for Iran, Taiwan and wider trade tensions.Β
Mr Trump is happy with the visit. He hailed a great friendship, making the extra effort to meet Mr Xi at the airport, the first time since 1962 that a US president has done so for a visiting leader other than a pope.Β
Mr Xi, in turn, praised the host for "many special arrangements ... all prepared with meticulous care and consideration", and said the talks added "new substance" to the "constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability".
