Trump and Xi Meet in Washington to Rebuild Trust

Trump and Xi Jinping meet in Washington today, four months after his Beijing visit, with two more summits possible this year. The talks aim to rebuild trust amid a strategic competition where both sides are reassessing their leverage. The U.S. sought to constrain China's tech development through chip export limits, but Beijing has countered with its 91% share of rare earth magnet refining. Trump now prioritizes supply continuity, while Xi uses industrial centrality to negotiate from strength. Trade pressure has failed to force Chinese concessions. Deep mutual distrust complicates cooperation on AI, Iran, and North Korea. Trump wants Xi's help on Tehran, but Xi fears U.S. reversion to competition. Taiwan arms sales delays raise concerns, while China's weak domestic demand and export pressure remain unresolved structural issues.