Trump and Xi Jinping struck a cordial tone during Xi’s Washington visit, but Thursday’s talks yielded few concrete results amid divisions over Taiwan, trade and the Iran war. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a two-month extension of the trade truce.
Xi said the talks produced a “common understanding” on many issues and “new strategic guidance” for US-China relations, without specifying the agreements. Xinhua said the leaders discussed the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula. Xi urged Washington to oppose Taiwan independence and handle the issue prudently; Beijing claims Taiwan, while the US sells arms to the island and has left open whether it would defend it in an attack.
Bessent announced the truce extension after an unscheduled Washington meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng; China did not immediately comment. The visit was also overshadowed by a White House access dispute: Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico, accusing them of spreading false information. US broadcasters provided significantly less summit coverage than customary, with no live broadcast. Critics called the move intimidation and an attack on press freedom.
