US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in South Korea for a meeting lasting one hour and forty minutes, attended by delegations and held through interpreters. However, the summit did not result in any concrete outcomes or agreements that observers had anticipated.
The two sides were expected to discuss the details of a trade deal agreed upon by US and Chinese officials ahead of the meeting. Still, there was no official information about the approval of that deal. In addition, both leaders avoided discussing any principal matters that could worsen relations, such as China's purchase of Russian oil or the future of Taiwan.
Trump emphasized that he did not bring up the topic of China buying Russian oil, despite previously pointing to China's role in economically supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Taiwan issue also went undiscussed, even as its resolution could trigger conflict between the US and China.
As an indicator of ongoing difficulties, Trump’s potential visit to China was delayed from January to April, suggesting a lack of significant progress in bilateral relations. Trump’s surprising announcement about resuming nuclear tests ahead of the meeting was also seen as a possible pressure tactic, despite China and Russia not conducting such tests.
Despite publicly expressing willingness to cooperate, both leaders ended the meeting without major agreements. Ultimately, the most notable outcome was that the meeting happened at all, as summits at the leadership level remain critical for dialogue and maintaining influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The results of this meeting and the future of US-China relations are of close interest to European countries and Russia as well.
