Trump-Xi summit: warm tone, limited deals as US-China rivalry shifts to management

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a Washington summit marked by warm rhetoric but limited concrete outcomes, agreeing only to a two-month extension of the trade truce while deeper disputes remained unresolved. Analysts say the meeting signals a shift toward managing, rather than resolving, the intense US-China rivalry. The leaders reaffirmed a "constructive relationship of strategic stability" and discussed AI, Taiwan, and geopolitical flashpoints, but no major breakthroughs emerged. Xi urged Washington to oppose "Taiwan independence," while Trump avoided directly responding, and both sides emphasized institutionalizing dialogue beyond personal rapport. Observers noted Beijing's growing willingness to acknowledge competition as bounded and non-zero-sum, while remaining skeptical that warm ties alone will yield progress on issues like the Middle East. Taiwan's handling, including a pending US$14 billion arms package, will offer an early test of the stability's limits.