On the menu for dinner is a spread of Huaiyang cuisine that includes Crispy Beef Ribs, Beijing Roast Duck and Slow-Cooked Salmon in Mustard Sauce. Huaiyang food – known for its mild and subtle flavours, refined knife-work and emphasis on seasonal dishes – was also served when George W. Bush was hosted by Beijing in 2002, and when Mr Trump last visited in 2017.
At the same banquet on Thursday (May 14), in his toast, U.S. President Donald Trump said the China-US relationship is one of the most longstanding ones. “We had extremely positive and productive conversations and meetings today with the Chinese delegation earlier, and this evening is another cherished opportunity to discuss among friends some of the things that we discussed today,” – he said.
He concludes his dinner speech by inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on September 24. While Mr Trump is trumpeting that “the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before”, he was left without a “big, fat hug” he bragged he would get from Xi before heading to China. Instead, Trump was offered a firm 10-second handshake.
After the U.S. president arrived in Beijing, he rained praise on Mr Xi as talks began at the Great Hall of the People, saying – “It’s an honour to be your friend”. Trump tried to appease Xi – “You and I have known each other for a long time. We’ve had a fantastic relationship, we’ve gotten along when there were difficulties, we worked it out. I would call you and you would call me”.
But Xi Jinping does not and has never considered Donald Trump as a good friend, let alone a best buddy. Mr Xi’s self-described “best friend” on the international stage is Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Rather, the Chinese leader chose to compare the US-China relationship to the “Thucydides Trap”, a political term coined by an American scholar based on the Peloponnesian war by ancient Greek historian Thucydides.
A theory popularized by Graham Allison, Thucydides Trap describes the dangerous tension when an emerging power threatens to displace an existing ruling power, frequently resulting in war. “Can China and the United States transcend the so-called ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations?“ – Mr Xi asked.
Instead of pretending to be Trump’s friend like most of European leaders, Xi instead took the opportunity to lecture and warn America. China and the U.S. should become partners and mutual respect is the key to stable ties, said Mr Xi at his opening speech at the state banquet in Beijing on Thursday. The Chinese president said – “We can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.”
“We both believe China-US ties are the most important bilateral ties in the world. We must make it work and never mess it up. Both China and the United States stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals,” lectured Xi, adding that China’s rejuvenation and Mr Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) campaign can go hand in hand.
Crucially, President Xi Jinping warned President Trump that any mishandling of Taiwan could lead to “an extremely dangerous situation.” Xi’s remarks, while in line with China’s longstanding position and policy, shows not only tensions, but also distrust between both countries at a time when Trump is trying to use his so-called friendship with Xi to pressure Iran to surrender some concessions.
A gathering of two superpowers to calm economic and trade disputes has been hijacked by China to weaken the U.S. commitment to Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that Beijing seeks to bring under its control. “‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water. Safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the U.S.,” – said Xi Jinping.
Trump did not publicly retaliate or respond to Xi’s statement. “Great. Great place. Incredible. China’s beautiful,” – Trump said when asked how the talks had gone. He didn’t answer questions about Taiwan. It’s not hard to understand why. Trump entered the meeting with a weak card – Iran War. Tehran relies on China for its economic survival, and Trump wants Xi’s help in brokering an end to the war.
The two leaders did discuss Iran, according to a White House official, who said China agreed that the Strait of Hormuz should remain a free waterway and agreed that Iran shouldn’t have a nuclear weapon. These has been used by the U.S. to cast China as broadly aligned with Washington. The Trump administration also tries to claim victory that China will buy more American oil and agricultural goods.
However, Beijing’s official statement said that the two sides only “exchanged views” on the situation in the Middle East, whilst Xi has merely expressed “some interest” in increasing Chinese purchases of U.S. oil. Beijing knew Trump is facing pressure from both Republicans and Democrats to tell Xi that Washington’s support for Taiwan is non-negotiable.
Interestingly, Tehran has allowed some Chinese ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz – without charging toll fees – after discussions with China’s foreign minister and ambassador after Xi agreed with Trump that the strait must remain open. In fact, more than 30 ships had passed through the strait since Wednesday night – a sign that Beijing could be deliberately flexing its influence in Iran during Trump-Xi summit.
Xi also told Trump that trade wars have “no winner,” adding that U.S.-China economic and trade ties are “mutually beneficial.” Xi hailed the US-China relationship as the world’s most consequential, telling Trump – “We must make it work and never mess it up.”
To allow Trump takes home some wins, China has renewed import licenses for hundreds of U.S. beef plants, reviving trade in the meat as the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies meet in Beijing to stabilize commercial and geopolitical relations. The permits were renewed on Thursday and are usually valid for five years.
As Trump and Xi toast each other at the banquet dinner on Thursday, the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be visiting China in the very near future. Beijing has maintained close economic and security ties with Moscow despite the invasion of Ukraine, having refused to join the international sanctions and the isolation of Russia over the war.
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May 14th, 2026 by financetwitter
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