WASHINGTON | The summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended Thursday with an extension of a fragile trade truce and an agreement to pursue cooperation on artificial intelligence, but major disagreements over Taiwan, technology, trade and global security remained unresolved.
The two leaders met at the White House during Xi’s first visit to Washington in more than a decade, with the talks closely watched for signs of whether the world’s two largest economies could stabilize relations after years of trade and strategic tensions. Reuters reported that the most tangible outcome was a two-month extension of the existing trade agreement, originally due to expire in November. The extension leaves tariffs, Chinese purchases of US goods, rare-earth supplies and technology restrictions for further negotiations.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Beijing was meeting its commitment to purchase 25 million tons of US soybeans but was behind on a separate pledge involving $17 billion in other agricultural goods. US officials have also raised concerns about rare-earth deliveries, highlighting the continuing gaps between the two countries despite the latest trade understanding.
Taiwan remained one of the most sensitive issues. Chinese state media reported that Xi urged Trump to handle the Taiwan question with “prudence” and called on Washington to oppose Taiwan independence. The United States has long maintained that it does not support Taiwan independence while also providing the self-governing island with defense assistance under US law. Reuters reported that Trump did not publicly signal a change in Washington’s established position during the summit.
The two sides also presented different approaches to artificial intelligence. Trump has argued against adding new regulatory guardrails and said the United States should rely on existing institutions, while Xi said the two countries have a responsibility to develop and manage AI while keeping its development under human control. Earlier negotiations had also included a US proposal for a mechanism to notify each other about AI-related incidents that could pose national security risks.
The summit came after a week in which Trump sought to demonstrate US influence through a speech at the United Nations and diplomacy involving Iran, Ukraine, Russia and Greenland. A Reuters analysis said the administration had encountered resistance from several foreign governments on major issues, while the Iran conflict continued to affect energy markets and relations with US allies. The White House rejected the characterization that Trump’s foreign policy had stalled, saying his UN speech highlighted what it described as advances in US interests.
Trump’s talks with Xi were marked by considerable ceremony. Reuters reported that the White House visit included military displays and elaborate events, while the substantive discussions produced fewer major announcements than the scale of the state visit might have suggested. The Associated Press likewise reported before the summit that neither government was expecting a sweeping agreement, with the meeting instead aimed at keeping dialogue open and preventing further deterioration in relations.
The diplomatic history behind the summit stretches back decades. Washington and Beijing established formal diplomatic relations in 1979, when the United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China. Analysts cited by Reuters said Xi may be interested in historical records concerning that transition during his scheduled visit to the US National Archives.
Trump is scheduled to accompany Xi to the National Archives on Friday, where the two leaders are expected to view the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights, along with materials documenting the historical relationship between the United States and China. Reuters reported that the visit is intended to emphasize the longer history of ties between the two countries after a summit dominated by contemporary economic and strategic disputes.
The archive visit will provide a symbolic close to Xi’s Washington trip, but the central issues dividing Washington and Beijing will continue into the next round of negotiations. The latest agreement reduces the immediate risk of another escalation in the trade dispute, while leaving questions over tariffs, technology, rare earths, Taiwan and the broader US-China strategic rivalry unresolved.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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