President Donald Trump closed a three-day summit in Beijing with the largest question hanging over his administration’s Taiwan policy, after Chinese President Xi Jinping used the visit to deliver a blunt warning that mishandling the self-governing island — which Beijing considers a breakaway province — risked “a very strong confrontation.” Trump, who had not publicly addressed Taiwan during his stay, told reporters aboard Air Force One on the flight home that Xi’s objections had made him reconsider the $11 billion weapons package for Taipei that his Republican administration approved in December, but which has yet to move forward. A separate $14 billion arms sale authorized by lawmakers in January awaits Trump’s formal submission to Congress.
“President Xi and I talked a lot about Taiwan,” Trump said. “He does not want to see a fight for independence because that would be a very strong confrontation.” Trump added: “I heard him out. But I didn’t make a comment.” He appeared to momentarily struggle to recall the name of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and noted, “The last thing we need right now is a war that’s 9,500 miles away.” Asked if he would intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan, Trump declined to answer directly — a stance consistent with the long-standing U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity, which commits to ensuring Taiwan can defend itself but does not specify the extent of American military action.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had insisted before the trip that there was no change in U.S. approach to Taiwan, but Trump’s remarks signaled potential re-evaluation. His ambivalence has grown more pronounced in his second term, raising questions among allies and lawmakers about whether he is open to reducing support for the island democracy.
Xi’s opening gambit appeared to set the tone. At the start of the visit, the Chinese leader told Trump that if Washington mishandles relations with Taiwan, the two powers could end up in conflict. He then steered discussions toward what Beijing characterized as a new era of managed competition. The Chinese Foreign Ministry declared that the leaders had agreed on a vision for “a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability,” which would guide interactions for at least three years — covering the remainder of Trump’s term. “The idea is to keep the relationship on an even keel,” said Helena Legarda of the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin. George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group consultancy, noted that the framework marks a shift from the more adversarial posture of the Biden administration, when ties were cast as strategic competition.
Iran, which had been expected to dominate the agenda given the U.S.-led war and its effects on global energy markets, received less public attention but still produced a new diplomatic wrinkle. Trump said Xi agrees with him that a nuclear-armed Iran is a bad idea and that the Strait of Hormuz — a critical oil chokepoint largely shut by the conflict — must be reopened. Trump added that Xi offered to help find an endgame to the war. Chinese officials, however, have not confirmed that such an explicit offer was made, stating only that any solution should “take into account the concerns of all parties on the Iran nuclear issue.” If Xi does become more engaged, it could prove significant for a U.S. effort to find a credible exit from the conflict, given China’s heavy reliance on Middle Eastern oil and liquefied natural gas.
Trade promises were plentiful in remarks but light on deliverables. Trump brought a heavyweight business delegation including Boeing CEO, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and SpaceX founder Elon Musk. He claimed that major deals had been struck and that China could purchase around 200 Boeing aircraft, with the potential to eventually buy 750 planes and hundreds of GE engines. No agreements were signed during the visit, however, and earlier expectations that Xi would commit to large orders of U.S. soybeans and beef went unmet. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the two sides had agreed to establish boards on trade and investment, address agricultural market access concerns, and promote expanded commerce under a framework of reciprocal tariff reductions. The lack of concrete deals echoes Trump’s first term, when a lavish signing ceremony in Beijing in 2017 announced roughly $250 billion in pledges, many of which never fully materialized.
The personal dynamic between the two leaders took on an unusually one-sided tone. Trump repeatedly praised Xi, calling him a “great leader” and declaring they were going to have a “fantastic future together.” He described it as an “honor” to be with Xi and to be his “friend,” characterizing his counterpart as “warm.” Xi, known for his businesslike demeanor, did not match the effusiveness. He called Trump’s visit “landmark” and said it had deepened mutual trust, but his most memorable overture was a promise to send seeds from the roses at his residence — where Trump took tea — for the White House garden, a gesture Xi said was in return for the hospitality Trump showed him at Mar-a-Lago in 2017.