US-China summit

The New York Times argues that the summit delivered political wins for both President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping without changing the deeper US-China rivalry. Jamieson Greer provides more details on trade talks during the summit in his interview with Bloomberg. Time details that artificial intelligence (AI) was largely absent from the discussion. The Washington Post writes that Trump’s China approach has shifted toward managed trade despite worsening imbalances. The New York Times highlights that China’s retaliation has forced Trump to scale back his ambitions and prioritize short-term stability.

Mentioned publications

Trump touts ‘fantastic trade deals’ with China, but details are scarce – Ana Swanson, The New York Times, May 15, 2026
Swanson reports that both countries got what they needed from the summit: Trump emerged with trade deals he could tout as economic wins, while Xi used the meeting to present China as a full peer competitor to the United States, even as the visit did little to alter the increasingly adversarial trajectory of US-China relations.
Bloomberg talks: Jamieson Greer – Annmarie Hordern, Bloomberg, May 15, 2026
In Bloomberg’s interview with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, he struck a cautiously optimistic tone on US-China trade, citing progress on agricultural purchases and rare earth supplies while noting that tariffs and supply-chain concerns remain unresolved.
How AI was the elephant in the room at the Trump-Xi Summit – Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, May 15, 2026
Jeyaretnam highlights that despite AI’s central strategic importance, the Trump-Xi summit produced no substantive agreement on the issue. Instead, talks centered on trade and security, as both countries continued to maneuver to protect and advance their own technological capabilities.
Trump’s approach on China has changed, now appears focused on getting along – David J. Lynch and Michael Birnbaum, The Washington Post, May 12, 2026
US-China trade has deteriorated since President Trump’s last visit to Beijing. A failed partial deal has given way to a renewed trade war, an uneasy Trump-Xi truce, and a US shift toward managed trade, even as China’s export dominance continues to deepen global economic imbalances.
Trump’s shrinking ambitions on China – Ana Swanson, The New York Times, May 13, 2026
Swanson examines Trump’s second‑term China strategy has retreated from sweeping confrontation to cautious risk management, as Beijing’s willingness to retaliate — especially through rare earth leverage — has forced Washington to scale back its ambitions and focus on short‑term stability, managed trade, and product purchases rather than structural change.