US president keeps a conspicuously low profile What stands out at the meeting between Trump and Xi in Beijing
Trump's state visit to China is publicly characterized by a lot of symbolism. Between the lines, a few things stand out.
15.05.2026, 06:25
15.05.2026, 06:43
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- US President Donald Trump meets China's head of state Xi Jinping: it's a summit with friendly ceremonies and pretty pictures, but appearances are deceptive.
- The Iran war and its consequences, as well as the conflict over Taiwan, are among the topics of contention.
- What is striking is that in his second term of office, Trump seems to be constantly making statements on his Truth Social platform. But during his visit to China, he kept a very low profile.
- What else has stood out during the state visit so far:
It's a summit with friendly ceremonies and pretty pictures, but in terms of content, the US and China clearly reveal different priorities at the meeting in Beijing. Among other things, the Iran war and its consequences as well as the conflict over Taiwan are causing controversy.
Today, US President Donald Trump and China's head of state Xi Jinping are meeting again in Beijing. They want to talk to each other in the famous Zhongnanhai complex. Visits by state guests to the former imperial garden next to the Forbidden City are rather rare. After the meeting, Trump plans to fly back to the USA. What has stood out so far during the state visit:
One summit, different emphasis
On the first day of Trump's visit on Thursday, it sounded at times as if Xi and he were taking part in different meetings. The difference was particularly clear when it came to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. According to the US, both sides agreed that the strait must remain open for energy transportation. Xi had spoken out against the militarization of the Strait and against charges for the passage. He also signaled an interest in buying more US oil, it was said. This issue initially played no role in the Chinese narrative.
The opposite was the case with the dispute over the island of Taiwan, which has been democratically governed for decades and is claimed by China and supported by the USA. Beijing brought the issue to the fore very early and clearly. According to the Chinese, Xi warned that the Taiwan issue must be handled with extreme caution. If it is handled incorrectly, the two countries could end up in conflict. In contrast, the US side did not mention Taiwan at all in its initial presentation.
Overall, it seemed as if Trump wanted to emphasize quick successes. Beijing, on the other hand, chose a different language. The Chinese presentation was more about the long-term order of bilateral relations. Xi spoke of "constructive strategic stability" between China and the USA.
Trump keeps a low profile
In his second term in office, Trump has been making statements on his Truth Social platform seemingly non-stop. But during his visit to China, he kept a conspicuously low profile.
In Washington, the US President often responds spontaneously to questions from journalists during official appointments. In Beijing, however, there has not yet been a moment in which Trump has spoken outside of his planned speeches. The two speeches were also rather brief and Trump seemed to stick to the manuscript, which is unusual for him. There was no press conference on the first day of the summit. Whether this was at the request of the Chinese or on the advice of his own team remained unclear.
Instead of making spontaneous statements, Trump chose to give an interview to his favorite channel Fox News after a conversation with Xi. The channel usually reports favorably on the US president.
Laying it on thick despite thin ice
Iran, Taiwan, mutual tariffs, trade barriers and China's control over rare earths - the list of existing problems between the world's two largest economies is long.
However, there has been little evidence of this in public appearances in Beijing so far. Instead, praise and respect have predominated. "We should be partners instead of rivals," Xi said to Trump at the opening meeting. "We had a fantastic relationship", Trump replied - and added: "You are a great leader".
In the Fox News interview, Trump also said of Xi: "I say about him that if you went to Hollywood and looked for a leader from China for a role in a movie, you couldn't find a guy like him." Trump and praised Xi's stature: "He's tall, very tall, and especially for this country, because they tend to be a little shorter there."
Will Xi make a return visit?
The state visit could be followed by further meetings this year. At the state dinner, Trump invited Xi to Washington on September 24. It was unclear whether the Chinese leader would accept the invitation. Should Trump come to the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (Apec) meeting in Shenzhen in southern China in November or Xi come to the G20 summit in Miami, Florida, a month later, further meetings would be possible.
