U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to a state dinner in the East Room of the White House on September 24, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietch | Getty Images News | Getty Images
BEIJING — In a show-stopping summit, the United States and China agreed in principle to continue dialogue.
From Wednesday to Friday last week, President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, D.C., for his second state visit since 2015. In a highly unusual gesture, President Trump personally greeted Xi at the airport, and more than 100 people, mostly from the US government and businesses, attended Xi’s state dinner.
But little progress was made, including extending the trade ceasefire for a much shorter period of two months than expected.
“I’m concerned that this kind of diplomacy and this fragile détente is really unsustainable, unless it produces more tangible results, unless it somehow addresses the strategic challenges that are evident across the relationship, from the strategic relationship to the economy,” Daniel Kritenbrink, a partner at consulting firm Asia Group, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Monday.
The two countries’ statements after the summit agreed on only a few points.
Peter Alexander, Shanghai-based managing director of Z-ben Advisors, said he was surprised that both sides issued separate statements rather than a joint one.
This means “both countries are truly locked in a battle trying to determine where the advantage lies in escalating the relationship,” Alexander said in a memo on Monday. He predicted that Xi was unlikely to visit the United States unless a joint statement was agreed in advance.
According to reports from both countries released over the weekend, the main areas where the US and China sent similar messages are:
First, both Trump and Xi are scheduled to attend the APEC meeting in Shenzhen in November and the G20 summit in Miami in December.
Second, the two countries agreed to hold an AI dialogue within the next two months and establish communication channels on AI incidents. However, while the US used the term “superintelligence”, China still refers to the technology as AI.
Third, both readings pointed out how the United States and China were allies during World War II and “fought together to win the war.”
During the summit meeting, both presidents each mentioned cooperation in relations with Japan.
In welcoming Xi to the White House, President Trump referred to the Flying Tigers, a group of American pilots who fought against the Japanese military in Myanmar and China in the early 1940s.
Mr. Xi’s toast to Mr. Trump at the dinner was more specific: “More than 80 years ago, the peoples of China and the United States stood shoulder to shoulder to fight Japan’s militaristic invaders.”
Analysts from both the U.S. and China said the historic reference also reflected broader efforts toward cooperation between the two countries.
But a Chinese social media account called “Chairman Rabbit,” long seen as providing insight into the thinking of the Chinese government, linked comments about World War II directly to Japan.
“The biggest loser of this China-US summit in Washington DC is the Sanae Takaichi administration,” the account said in an article on Saturday. According to CNBC’s Chinese translation.
Nearly a year ago, Takaichi angered Beijing by suggesting Japan’s Self-Defense Forces might intervene in any attempt to take over Taiwan by force. The Chinese government considers this independent and self-governing island part of its territory. In a recent meeting with President Trump, President Xi urged the United States to oppose “Taiwan independence.”
Fourth, the presidents of the United States and China signaled some cooperation on limiting Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities and agreed that “no country or entity will be allowed to impose tolls on international waterways.”
Fifth, the two countries formalized plans for trade and investment committees and agreed to reduce tariffs on $30 billion worth of products from each other.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Monday that the figure includes China’s coal imports from the United States, citing purchase plans in 2027 and 2028 without specifying amounts. According to a US report, China is expected to import at least 10 million tons of coal every year.
The two countries also announced the establishment of a working group to discuss agricultural trade, and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce specified that sectoral consultations would begin by the end of 2026.
Companies will now keep a close eye on the timeliness of implementation.
“Despite the red carpet treatment and hyperbole from President Trump and Xi Jinping, fact sheets from each side show how wary each side is of the other,” said Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and director of China Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S.-based think tank.
“The results on trade, rare earths, refined oil, investment and AI are all quite limited and preliminary,” he said. “Taiwan was discussed but not featured in official announcements from either side, suggesting that no progress has been made.”
A statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce on Monday also mentioned plans to increase flights between the two countries and open up the financial sector to businesses from all countries, but did not go into details.
On Sunday, Zoo Atlanta announced the arrival of two giant pandas from China, days after President Xi Jinping said the Chinese government was sending bears.
