analysis East Asia<\/p>\n
Decoding what was said and achieved - or not - over key issues at\nTrump-Xi summit<\/p>\n
Choreographed diplomacy, cordial optics and symbolic gestures defined\nthe high-stakes Sino-US summit in Beijing, but whether these translate\nto concrete and lasting outcomes remains uncertain, say analysts.<\/p>\n
BEIJING\/SHENZHEN: A 15-second handshake, \u201cfantastic trade deals\u201d and\nupbeat promises of more stable relations between the world\u2019s two biggest\nsuperpowers.<\/p>\n
The optics of this week\u2019s summit between US President Donald Trump\nand Chinese leader Xi Jinping were visibly warm and reassuring.<\/p>\n
But beneath the carefully choreographed diplomacy and cultural\nsymbolism, observers say major issues remain over trade, Taiwan, global\nsecurity and the AI chip war - with no signs of a breakthrough on\nselling Nvidia\u2019s advanced H200 chips to China, despite CEO Jensen\nHuang\u2019s dramatic last-minute addition to the trip.<\/p>\n
The warmer tone and symbolic gestures may help ease market anxieties\nbut analysts say the summit is more likely to produce temporary\nstabilisation than any substantive reset in ties.<\/p>\n
There were \u201cnot too many surprises based on the known substance from\nthe summit\u201d, said William Yang, a senior analyst for Northeast Asia at\nthe International Crisis Group, noting that careful preparation by both\nsides helped keep the meeting on a relatively smooth track.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what was said and achieved - or not - at the \u201chistoric\u201d\nTrump-Xi summit.<\/p>\n
BILATERAL PAGEANTRY<\/p>\n
The summit was filled with diplomatic pageantry - carefully chosen\nvenues, choreographed visits and symbolic imagery throughout Trump\u2019s\nBeijing visit.<\/p>\n
Xi described the visit as \u201chistoric\u201d and \u201csymbolic\u201d during a small\ngroup meeting at Zhongnanhai, while Trump called it a \u201cvery successful\u201d\nand \u201cunforgettable\u201d visit - \u201cwatched by the world\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Great Hall of the People hosted the formal talks and state\nbanquet, while the Temple of Heaven - where Chinese emperors once prayed\nfor good harvests - carries historical associations with harmony and\npolitical order.<\/p>\n
More notably, Xi also hosted Trump at Zhongnanhai, the heavily\nguarded leadership compound associated with China\u2019s top political\nleadership and rarely opened to foreign guests.<\/p>\n
The summit also appeared to put a more positive gloss on US-China\nties, with both sides trying to project stability after months of\nturbulence, analysts said.<\/p>\n
Yang told CNA that both leaders used the summit to showcase a shared\ndesire to find common ground and manage differences, especially against\nthe backdrop of the ongoing Middle East conflict and wider geopolitical\ntensions.<\/p>\n
Trump and Xi both emphasised cooperation and stability in their\nopening remarks, though Trump leaned more heavily into personal praise,\nhe added.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on the readouts from both sides, it is also evident that both\nleaders tried to emphasise areas where mutually beneficial cooperation\nis possible,\u201d Yang said, pointing to trade and economic ties.<\/p>\n
But at the same time, they also avoided direct confrontation over\nmore contentious issues such as Taiwan and Iran, Yang added.<\/p>\n
Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of\nSingapore and non-resident scholar at Carnegie China, said the summit\ncreated \u201ca tone of positivity\u201d in bilateral ties - while also allowing\nBeijing to project strength.<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s praise of Xi and China went largely unreciprocated, noted\nChong - while Xi\u2019s reference to the Thucydides Trap gave Beijing a\nbroader historical frame for the relationship.<\/p>\n
In official Chinese readouts, Xi and Trump agreed to build a\nrelationship based on \u201cconstructive strategic stability\u201d - a new vision\nfor bilateral ties over the next three years and beyond.<\/p>\n
The formulation should be centred on cooperation as the mainstay,\ncompetition kept within bounds, differences kept controllable and\n\u201clasting stability\u201d where peace can be expected, said the Chinese\nsupremo.<\/p>\n
The new formulation fits into Beijing\u2019s effort to define the next\nstage of ties, analysts said.<\/p>\n
Su Yue, chief China economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit\n(EIU), said Beijing appeared to use the summit not just to stabilise\nties - but to also introduce a broader new framework for managing\nrelations with the US.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time, Xi has put forward several new ideas \u2026 while also\nemphasising the cooperative dimensions of the bilateral relationship\nwithin the new framework both sides hope to develop over the next three\nyears,\u201d Su said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn some ways, this reflects a shift from China\u2019s previous strategy\nof mainly reacting to US policies.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that Beijing maintains \u201crealistic expectations\u201d that\nfriction will continue even under the best circumstances.<\/p>\n
Listen:<\/p>\n
Yang said the framework suggests Beijing wants competition to remain\nlimited and differences managed, while preserving enough stability to\nstrengthen strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and energy\nsecurity.<\/p>\n
But Chong cautioned against reading the phrase as a fundamental\nshift.<\/p>\n
\u201cStability means no change essentially,\u201d he said, adding that the\nlanguage suggests no major change in US-China ties, only the placing of\nguardrails.<\/p>\n
IRAN WAR<\/p>\n
The Iran war had been widely expected to be a major talking point\ngoing into the Trump-Xi summit.<\/p>\n
For Washington, the issue was whether Beijing could use its ties with\nTehran to help ease the crisis, analysts said. China remains a major\nbuyer of Iranian oil and has maintained close political and economic\nlinks with Iran, giving it channels of influence that the US lacks.<\/p>\n
The White House readout following bilateral talks on Thursday said\nthat both leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz should remain open to\nsupport the free flow of energy and that Iran should not acquire nuclear\nweapons. China\u2019s readout said only that the two leaders exchanged views\non the Middle East situation.<\/p>\n
Yang from the International Crisis Group said the gap between the two\nreadouts suggested that the summit did not produce meaningful consensus\non Iran.<\/p>\n
While Beijing may have acknowledged Washington\u2019s position and<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/decoding-what-was-said-and-achieved-or-not-over-key-issues-at-trump-xi-summit-1780934002", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }