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

After talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the readouts released by Washington and Beijing differed notably. U.S. scholars told CNA that the divergence reflects different 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. The U.S. side appeared more focused on economic cooperation, Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz. 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 15 minutes, followed by a state banquet. Trump is expected to have tea and a working lunch with Xi before returning to the United States. Patricia Kim, a China expert at the Brookings Institution, said Beijing clearly knew how to impress Trump, arranging a grand reception that included a review of the People’s Liberation Army honor guard, cheering schoolchildren, and a visit to the Temple of Heaven. Such pageantry, she said, likely helped 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 confrontation or even conflict. Xi also said he and Trump agreed to define the relationship as one of “constructive strategic stability.” However, the White House readout of the meeting did not mention Taiwan. Kim said both sides were managing perceptions in different ways: Beijing wanted to show a firm posture on Taiwan, while Washington wanted to keep the public focus on economic cooperation. Thomas Shattuck, senior program manager at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House, said the contrast showed what each side considered most important. The absence of Taiwan from the White House readout, he said, indicated that Taiwan is not something to be negotiated. Richard Bush, former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings, said Beijing’s call for properly handling the Taiwan issue was directed both at the U.S. government and at 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 strengthening economic cooperation. The Washington Post, citing a White House official, reported that Trump did not respond to Xi’s remarks on Taiwan during the meeting and instead moved on to the next topic. Another senior U.S. official said both sides reiterated their long-standing positions on the issue. Before the meeting, Trump had said he would discuss U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with Xi, raising concerns that Washington’s Taiwan policy might shift. After the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said U.S. policy toward Taiwan had not changed and that arms sales to Taiwan were not a main focus of the day’s talks. Kim said Rubio’s remarks were reassuring, as was the absence so far of any statement from Trump or other U.S. officials suggesting a policy change. For now, she said, the worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided. Shattuck said he does not believe Trump would oppose arms sales to Taiwan, noting that foreign weapons purchases through the U.S. arms sales process create American jobs and benefit U.S. companies, aligning with Trump’s emphasis on the economy and manufacturing. As for the presence of U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the negotiating table, Kim said it was unusual, as U.S.-China military exchanges usually occur through defense dialogues or regional security forums rather than leader-level summits. His presence may have been intended to brief China on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Shattuck said one possible reason was related to the war involving Iran, with the United States seeking Chinese involvement. Other possible topics may have included establishing some form of working group on artificial intelligence applications in the military or nuclear domains.