Trump and Xi's summit: style over substance

President Trump and China's Xi Jinping concluded a Washington summit marked by ceremony but yielding minimal concrete results, extending a trade truce by two months and renewing an AI dialogue. Neither leader achieved substantial agreements, with analysts calling the event "long on performance, short on substance." Trump focused on personal rapport and White House pageantry, while Xi emphasized Beijing's framing of "strategic stability" and equal great-power status. The absence of Chinese business executives and a media boycott by major US networks highlighted the limited scope, though two more meetings are scheduled this year. Beijing views the summit as successful for projecting parity with Washington, prioritizing process and de-escalation over comprehensive deals. China seeks to ringfence worst outcomes with the US while pursuing opportunities elsewhere, aware that Trump's commitments may not bind future presidents.