Xi Jinping visited the United States, held talks with Trump and attended a dinner. When both leaders spoke publicly, they struck friendly terms.
Trump described the atmosphere of the meeting on Thursday (September 24) as good, "We had a great meeting, and the meeting was very good." Xi Jinping said in his speech at the state banquet in the evening that he and Trump "had a candid and in-depth exchange" and "reached a lot of new consensus." Trump responded, "Our relationship has never been better."
But apart from friendly rhetoric, the two countries seem to have made no significant progress on pressing issues such as artificial intelligence and rare earths that are of concern to the outside world.
Scholars analyzed to BBC Chinese that urgent issues related to the strategic policy of the game are subject to future consultations between the two countries, but the most important achievement of the talks is to demonstrate the "positive and friendly atmosphere and image" of the relationship between the two countries.
There has been limited progress on the topic, but the focus is on the atmosphere
Before the meeting, Trump posted on his social platform that "Super Intelligence" (SI) would be the focus of the discussion between the two, but said he "hopes to stop there."
However, in his speech at the White House welcome ceremony, Xi Jinping specifically mentioned artificial intelligence and said that the United States has the responsibility to ensure the controlled development of artificial intelligence.
Yang Haowei, a senior Northeast Asia analyst at the International Crisis Group, analyzed to BBC Chinese that China and the United States are highly competitive in the field of AI. For the two sides to start a dialogue, "there must first be a basis for mutual trust."
But looking at the rhetoric from both sides, Yang Haowei pointed out that there seemed to be "a little gap" in the messages conveyed by the two.
Back when Xi Jinping got off the plane, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the one-year trade "truce" between China and the United States would be extended for another two months. But beyond that, the two sides have yet to reach a broader agreement at the talks.
Dr. Huang Yushun, assistant professor of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong and researcher at the Center for Contemporary China and World Studies, analyzed to BBC Chinese that the focus of the talks was not on policy breakthroughs, but on the "personal relationship" between the leaders of the two countries.
He pointed out that issues such as rare earths, artificial intelligence governance or trade all involve territory and great power game policies, and require future consultations between the two teams. But judging from the pomp and circumstance of Trump's pick-up at the airport, the two's meeting at the White House, and the state banquet, the progress of the relationship between the two parties is "quite successful."
Yang Haowei also believes that the most important achievement of the Xi-Trump meeting is that the two countries have unanimously "created a positive and friendly atmosphere and image of relations" externally.
He pointed out that the messages released by the heads of state of the two powerful countries will have an impact on the international situation, and both of them expressed in their conversations that Sino-US relations are moving in the direction of "finding more cooperation possibilities and managing differences", and the atmosphere is "at least positive and cooperative and stable."
China shows "confidence and upper hand" to the outside world
Looking at the meeting, Yang Haowei bluntly said that Xi Jinping "gradually gained the upper hand" in the relationship between the two.
He analyzed that Trump's high-standard reception and grand state banquet allowed Xi Jinping to directly show to China's internal and international communities that China and the United States are basically on an "equal level."
Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the welcome ceremony at the White House, emphasizing that the two countries should strengthen communication, sincere cooperation and peaceful coexistence. He said, "Although Sino-US cooperation cannot solve all the world's problems, without cooperation between the two countries, many problems in the world will be difficult to solve."
Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that Sino-US competition should be "benign and borderline" and should not be "a wrestling match where you lose and I win." He believes that the two countries' militaries must maintain normal dialogue and "the 'Thucydides' Trap' can be overcome."
Yang Haowei pointed out that Trump's "unconventional" character often exaggerates achievements before and after summits, but the gap with the facts damages his political reputation and image in the United States.
In comparison, Yang Haowei said that Xi Jinping showed a "more stable and confident" attitude in this meeting, and believed that Xi Jinping "gradually has the upper hand" in terms of international influence and international evaluation of the two men's leadership.
Trump shows domestic processing power
But Trump is not without success.
