Selective Cooperation, Enduring Rivalry: Reading the Trump-Xi Summit

(Uday Nitin Patil – Observer Research Foundation) Amid the continuing conflict in the Middle East, global attention briefly shifted towards President Donald Trump’s visit to China on 14-15 May 2026, marking the first visit by an incumbent US president to Beijing since his own trip in 2017. While the summit has widely been viewed as more symbolic than substantive, the discussions surrounding trade, technology, and rare earths deserve closer attention. This is particularly important given the wider implications that economic and technological engagement between Washington and Beijing can have at a time of growing global uncertainty, for both the bilateral relationship and the broader international economy. Following his two-day visit to China, Trump described the trip as “incredible.” According to the White House Fact Sheet, the summit sought to build a “constructive relationship of strategic stability” between the two countries based on “fairness and reciprocity”. Both sides agreed to establish new “Board of Trade” and “Board of Investment” mechanisms to manage bilateral trade and investment issues. Economically, Washington highlighted a series of commitments from Beijing, including the reported purchase of 200 Boeing aircraft, expanded imports of US agricultural products, renewed access for American beef and poultry exports, and measures to address American concerns over rare earth and critical mineral supply shortages. – Selective Cooperation, Enduring Rivalry: Reading the Trump-Xi Summit