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THE Beijing summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping was never likely to produce a grand result. Too much mistrust has accumulated, and the disputes dividing Washington and Beijing now extend far beyond tariffs.
Yet the meeting still mattered because both sides met with an interest in preventing relations from becoming even more volatile at a moment of widening global instability. The summit’s economic outcomes were limited but not insignificant.
China reportedly agreed to expand imports of American agricultural goods and renew approvals for US beef exporters, while both governments signalled their willingness to continue negotiations over tariffs and market access. These steps may provide some reassurance to businesses rattled by years of tariff escalation and supply-chain disruption.
Still, the absence of a major trade breakthrough was striking given the scale of the US delegation. Senior economic officials travelled alongside executives from major US technology, manufacturing and financial firms, many of whom had hoped for clear progress on investment conditions and commercial curbs. Instead, several of the understandings announced later were described by Beijing itself as preliminary.
