Expert Analysis on the Historic Trump-Xi Jinping Meeting
US President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China. A lecturer from the Department of International Relations at the University of Indonesia (UI), Asra Virgianita, assessed the meeting as more symbolic than producing strategic policies.
“The Xi-Trump meeting in Beijing presents more symbolic diplomacy than substantive outcomes. For Xi’s administration, this meeting is important to demonstrate to the international and domestic public that China remains relevant and is regarded and recognised by the United States as a strategic partner,” Asra told reporters on Friday (15/5/2026).
“At the same time, it affirms China’s status as a major power that cannot be ignored,” she added.
According to her, Xi Jinping’s statement that China and the US should be partners rather than rivals is part of an effort to shift the narrative from rivalry to partnership. She said this is important to portray China as a constructive actor.
Meanwhile, for Trump, she said, the meeting is an opportunity to assert US influence over Chinese policies, including Beijing’s position on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
“Since China is the largest oil importer from that region, Trump believes China has leverage to pressure Iran regarding the Hormuz Strait blockade,” she stated.
According to her, Trump’s praise for Xi Jinping is an effort to build rapport. It is also an attempt to create a positive atmosphere with the counterpart.
Asra said the presence of business figures such as Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and Tim Cook also underscores the economic and technological dimension as an important part of bilateral negotiations. Asra said the meeting simultaneously builds Trump’s image as a “deal maker” in the eyes of the domestic public ahead of the October elections.
“Another important aspect for Trump is to present himself to the US domestic public as a ‘deal maker’ capable of negotiating with a strategic rival. This is crucial for Trump ahead of the October elections, where leadership image is one of the focuses of the US public,” she explained.
“Thus, this meeting functions more as a symbolic ‘stage’ and an effort to ensure that the rivalry between the two countries has limited/controlled impact, rather than as a meeting that produces strategic decisions for today’s global problems,” she added.
Previously, Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump that the two countries should be “partners and not rivals” when they met for important talks in Beijing on Thursday (14/5) local time.
Trump, in his response to Xi, said that the US and China would have a “fantastic future together”.
The talks between the two leaders, as reported by AFP on Thursday (14/5/2026), were held after a grand welcoming ceremony for Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday (14/5) morning local time. This marks the first visit by a US President to China in the last decade.
In his talks with Trump, Xi said he was “pleased” to welcome the US President, who last came to Beijing in 2017 during Trump’s first term.
Xi also described the meeting as taking place at a time when “the world has arrived at a new crossroads”.
“A stable China-US relationship is a blessing for the world. Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both. We should be partners and not rivals,” Xi told Trump during the meeting.