BEIJING, China – US President Donald Trump left China on Friday, May 15, with no major breakthroughs on trade or tangible help from Beijing to end the Iran war, despite two days spent heaping praise on his host, Xi Jinping.
Trump’s visit to America’s main strategic and economic rival, the first by a US president since his last trip in 2017, had aimed for tangible results to beef up his sagging approval ratings before the midterm elections.
The summit was filled with pageantry, from goose-stepping soldiers to tours of a secret garden, but behind closed doors, Xi issued a stark warning to Trump that any mishandling of China’s top concern, Taiwan, could spiral into conflict.
During a huddle with reporters on the way back to the US, Trump said Xi told him he opposed Taiwan’s independence.
“I heard him out. I didn’t make a comment…. I made no commitment either way,” said Trump. He added that he will decide on a pending arms sale to Taiwan shortly, after speaking to “the person that right now is…running Taiwan.”
