Donald Trump and Xi Jinping extended their tariff truce by two months, into January, at their Sept. 24 summit, but left wider trade and Taiwan arms sales unresolved, columnist Craig Singleton writes. They agreed to keep working on a trade board and to hold more AI talks.
Singleton says China was about halfway toward its pledge to buy 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans this year. The summit produced no breakthrough on Beijing’s separate pledge for at least $17 billion a year in additional U.S. farm purchases beyond soybeans; an earlier agreement to buy roughly 200 Boeing aircraft also remained unmet. He says there was no breakthrough on China’s promise to restore reliable rare-earth and magnet supplies. Xi also said two pandas would soon go to Zoo Atlanta.
Trump had held off since May on approving a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan. Singleton says Xi effectively warned that approval could jeopardize the stable relationship, and argues that further delay could persuade Beijing that pressure works and lead Taiwan and other Asian partners to question U.S. resolve. He says the summit’s promises can be checked against trade data, rare-earth shipments and whether the proposed trade board produces deals.
