Trump-Xi summit: Four key takeaways from the Washington, DC, meeting

Trump and Xi seek stable US-China ties at the White House, but differences over Iran, Taiwan and trade remain unresolved.

Chinese President Xi Jinping looks on as US President Donald Trump speaks during an arrival ceremony for Xi’s state visit in the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 24, 2026 [Annabelle Gordon/Pool via EPA]

US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping seemed to put sources of tension between their countries to the side during the second day of Xi’s three-day visit to the United States , where he met with Trump and toured the White House.

Trump touted what he described as a “great meeting” with Xi on Thursday, as the two superpowers seek greater dialogue despite differences over issues such as Iran, Taiwan, AI and trade.

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“From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people,” Trump said.

Here are a few key takeaways from Xi’s second day in the US.

Emphasis on stable ties

When Trump first returned to the White House, he announced severe tariffs on Chinese goods that quickly set off a trade war between the world’s two largest economies and warnings of wider fallout around the globe.

Despite such a rocky start, Trump and Xi have sought to dial back tensions and improve their personal ties, even if there is an understanding that core areas of disagreement aren’t likely to change.

The US president has sometimes talked about China’s status as a rising power as a source of admiration, even as those changes bring it into competition with the US.

“We had a great meeting,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, without offering further details.

For his part, Xi stated on Thursday that the US and China should take steps to avoid the “Thucydides Trap”, a term used by international relations scholars regarding the risk of conflict between a rising power and an existing power.

“It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses,” Xi said, adding that both countries were deeply interconnected and should engage in “healthy” competition that is “kept within bounds”.

Iran war hangs over visit

While Xi’s visit is focused on improving ties with Trump and the US, several issues have also been at the centre of discussions between the two leaders. One is the US war on Iran, which was launched by the US and Israel in February and has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and surging global energy prices .

Trump has called on China to support US efforts to isolate Tehran economically and reopen the strait, which was open before the war. Beijing, Iran’s largest trading partner, has been hesitant to get involved.

No breakthroughs on the issue were reported during talks between Trump and Xi on Thursday, with the Chinese president stating that he supported the US and Iran returning to an interim agreement that was supposed to pave the way for a larger peace deal.

That truce broke down shortly after it was announced in June.

Visit gets mixed reception from US lawmakers

While Xi’s visit to the US has been marked by pomp and ceremony, some Democratic and Republican lawmakers have complained that the spectacle amounts to a celebration of a US rival.

“Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party,” said Republican Senator Roger Wicker.

That line of criticism was shared by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who said that Trump “always deludes himself into thinking that, by ingratiating himself with authoritarians, he’s somehow going to get his way”.

Others said that diplomacy between the US and China is a positive thing that will help the two powers avoid potentially disastrous conflict.

“I’m glad this meeting is happening; diplomacy is key,” Republican Senator Rand Paul said in a social media post. “Talk more, war less.”

Xi urges Trump not to recognise Taiwan independence

US ties with Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory, remain a core flashpoint in relations between Washington and Beijing.

During their meeting on Thursday, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Xi urged Trump to oppose Taiwanese independence and handle the issue “prudently”. The White House has yet to release its own summary of the talks and remarks on Taiwan.

The Chinese leader is likely to continue pressing Trump to avoid acts that Beijing views as provocative.

Trump stated after a meeting with Xi in May that he would postpone final approval of a $14bn arms package for Taipei, and has called arms sales a “very good negotiating chip” with China.

That transactional approach has angered some in Washington, who see US promises of military aid to Taiwan as a core commitment.

But the US has long taken an expedient approach to relations with Beijing and Taipei, seeking stronger ties with China as it emerged as an economic powerhouse and maintaining an official policy of encouraging a peaceful resolution of the dispute without taking either side.

Taiwan has expressed concern that China could use coercion , both economic and military, to bring the island under its control.

A May Economist/YouGov poll found that people in the US are much more likely to view Taiwan as an ally of the country than China. Asked whether the US should prioritise good relations with Beijing or preventing China from seizing control of Taiwan, respondents were split 36 percent to 35 percent.

Less than 40 percent of those polled said the US should be prepared to use military force to stop China from controlling Taiwan.

特朗普和习近平在白宫寻求稳定的美中关系，但在伊朗、台湾和贸易等问题上的分歧仍未解决。

2026年9月24日，中国国家主席习近平在华盛顿白宫十字厅出席习近平主席对美国的国事访问欢迎仪式，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普发表讲话。[Annabelle Gordon/Pool via EPA]

在习近平对美国进行为期三天的访问的第二天，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普和中国国家主席习近平似乎将两国之间的紧张关系搁置一边。习近平会见了特朗普，并参观了白宫。

周四，特朗普称赞与习近平的会晤是“伟大的会晤”，尽管两国在伊朗、台湾、人工智能和贸易等问题上存在分歧，但这两个超级大国仍在寻求加强对话。

专家称，特朗普与习近平峰会将聚焦“稳定”双边关系（共三项，此为第一项）。

特朗普-习近平峰会议程之二（共三份）：以下是峰会议程及其重要性

列表 3/3 “敌对，但又上钩”：美中贸易休战延期的背后是什么？

特朗普说：“自从我2016年第一次当选以来，我和习近平主席就建立了友谊，一段真正伟大的友谊，这段友谊建立在相互尊重和我们两国人民的切身利益之上。”

以下是习近平访美第二天的一些要点。

强调稳定的关系

特朗普重返白宫后，立即宣布对中国商品加征重税，迅速引发世界两大经济体之间的贸易战，并警告称这将对全球造成更广泛的影响。

尽管开局不利，但特朗普和习近平都试图缓和紧张局势，改善彼此的私人关系，即使双方都明白，核心分歧领域不太可能改变。

美国总统有时会把中国作为新兴大国的地位视为一种钦佩之举，尽管这些变化也使中国与美国展开了竞争。

特朗普周四告诉记者：“我们进行了一次非常棒的会面”，但他没有提供更多细节。

习近平周四表示，中美两国应采取措施避免陷入“修昔底德陷阱”，国际关系学者用这个术语来描述新兴大国与现有大国之间发生冲突的风险。

习近平表示，“这应该是一场相互追赶的竞赛，而不是一场非胜即负的较量”，并补充说，两国联系紧密，应该进行“适度”的“健康”竞争。

伊朗战争的阴影笼罩着此次访问。

尽管习近平此次访问的重点是改善与特朗普和美国的关系，但两位领导人也讨论了几个重要议题。其中之一是美国和以色列于2月份发动的对伊朗战争，这场战争导致霍尔木兹海峡关闭，并推高了全球能源价格。

特朗普呼吁中国支持美国在经济上孤立德黑兰并重新开放霍尔木兹海峡的努力。霍尔木兹海峡在战前一直畅通无阻。作为伊朗最大的贸易伙伴，北京一直不愿介入此事。

据报道，特朗普和习近平周四的会谈并未就此问题取得任何突破。中国国家主席表示，他支持美国和伊朗重返旨在为达成更大和平协议铺平道路的临时协议。

该休战协议在6月份宣布后不久便宣告破裂。

此次访问受到美国立法者的褒贬不一

尽管习近平访美行程隆重而盛大，但一些民主党和共和党议员抱怨说，这种盛况无异于庆祝美国的竞争对手。

“坦白地说，如果白宫征求我的意见，我会建议总统不要邀请习近平主席来华盛顿，在美国受到如此盛大的欢迎，因为我们与习近平主席和中国共产党之间存在着诸多令人不安的问题，”共和党参议员罗杰·威克尔说道。

民主党参议员克里斯·范霍伦也持相同批评观点，他表示，特朗普“总是自欺欺人地认为，只要讨好独裁者，就能如愿以偿”。

另一些人则认为，美中之间的外交努力是一件积极的事情，有助于两国​​避免潜在的灾难性冲突。

“我很高兴这次会晤能够举行；外交是关键，”共和党参议员兰德·保罗在社交媒体上发帖说。“多对话，少战争。”

习近平敦促特朗普不要承认台湾独立

美国与台湾的关系，以及台湾（中国声称台湾是其领土的一部分）之间的关系，仍然是华盛顿和北京关系的核心冲突点。

据中国官方通讯社新华社报道，习近平在周四的会晤中敦促特朗普反对“台独”，并“谨慎”处理台湾问题。白宫尚未发布会谈纪要及有关台湾问题的表态。

中国领导人可能会继续向特朗普施压，要求他避免采取北京方面认为具有挑衅性的行为。

特朗普在5月与习近平会晤后表示，他将推迟最终批准向台北出售价值140亿美元的武器，并称武器销售是与中国谈判的“非常好的筹码”。

这种交易式的做法激怒了华盛顿的一些人，他们认为美国对台湾的军事援助承诺是一项核心承诺。

但长期以来，美国对北京和台北的关系采取了权宜之计，寻求与中国建立更紧密的联系，因为中国已经崛起为经济强国，而美国则奉行鼓励和平解决争端而不偏袒任何一方的官方政策。

台湾方面表示担忧，中国可能会使用经济和军事手段胁迫台湾，使其置于中国控制之下。

《经济学人》/YouGov 五月份的一项民调显示，美国民众更倾向于将台湾视为美国的盟友，而非中国。当被问及美国应该优先考虑与北京保持良好关系，还是优先考虑阻止中国控制台湾时，受访者的意见分歧很大，36%的人支持，35%的人支持。

不到40%的受访者表示，美国应该准备好使用武力阻止中国控制台湾。