U.S. and China Differ in Readouts After Trump-Xi Meeting; Scholars Say Taiwan Is Beijing’s Top Priority While Washington Focuses on Economy and Iran

After talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, the United States and China issued noticeably different readouts. U.S. scholars said the contrast reflects each side’s priorities: Taiwan is Beijing’s top concern, while the White House’s omission of Taiwan suggests Washington does not view it as a negotiable issue and is more focused on economic cooperation and the Iran situation. Trump is on a state visit to China. Xi hosted a high-level welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing before the two leaders held talks lasting about two hours and fifteen minutes, followed by a state banquet. Trump is expected to have tea and a working lunch with Xi the next day before returning to the United States. Patricia Kim, a U.S.-China relations expert at the Brookings Institution, said Beijing clearly knows how to impress Trump, citing the honor guard review, cheering schoolchildren and a visit to the Temple of Heaven. She said such pageantry is effective with Trump and helps create a positive atmosphere. According to Xinhua, Xi said during the meeting that Taiwan is the most important issue in U.S.-China relations and that mishandling it could lead to collision or even conflict. Xi also said he and Trump agreed to define the relationship as one of “constructive strategic stability.” The White House readout, however, did not mention Taiwan. Kim said both sides are managing perceptions in different ways: Beijing wants to show a tough stance on Taiwan, while Washington wants to keep the focus on economic cooperation. Thomas Shattuck, a senior program manager at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House, said Taiwan is clearly China’s top priority, and the U.S. omission of Taiwan from its readout shows that it is not something Washington considers negotiable. Richard Bush, former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings, said Beijing’s call to properly handle the Taiwan issue is aimed at both the U.S. government and Taiwan. Objectively, however, he said China’s own behavior has created the instability it claims to oppose. The White House readout said Trump and Xi had a “good” meeting and agreed that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons and that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to ensure the free flow of energy. The two leaders also discussed ways to strengthen economic cooperation. The Washington Post cited a White House official as saying Trump did not respond to Xi’s remarks on Taiwan and moved on to the next topic. Another senior U.S. official said both sides reiterated their long-standing positions. Before the meeting, Trump had said he would discuss U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with Xi, raising concerns that U.S. Taiwan policy might shift. After the meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told U.S. media that Washington’s Taiwan policy has not changed and that Taiwan arms sales were not a major focus of the day’s talks. Kim said Rubio’s statement that U.S. Taiwan policy remains unchanged was reassuring, as was the absence of any statement from Trump or other U.S. officials suggesting a policy shift. Shattuck said he does not expect Trump to block arms sales to Taiwan, noting that foreign weapons purchases from the United States create American jobs and benefit U.S. companies and manufacturing. The presence of U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Trump-Xi negotiating table was also seen as unusual. Kim said it may have been intended to brief China on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Shattuck said one possible reason was the Iran war and Washington’s desire for Chinese involvement. Other possibilities include discussions on forming a working group related to artificial intelligence applications in the military or nuclear fields.