Trump-Xi Summit: More Deals, Less Diplomacy, and No Real Solutions

Next week, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will meet in Beijing for what could be the first of four summits over the next year. Despite the hype, don’t expect any breakthroughs on the biggest challenges between the U.S. and China. According to Council on Foreign Relations President Michael Froman, this summit is less about solving problems and more about managing tensions to avoid outright conflict.

Trump himself has framed the meeting as a chance to “not fight,” boasting on Truth Social about the warm welcome he expects from Xi. But beneath this veneer of friendliness lies a troubling complacency. The Trump administration’s China policy now aims for “a decent peace,” a low bar that ignores the ongoing mercantilist economic practices Beijing uses to dominate global markets, its aggressive stance on Taiwan, and its support for U.S. adversaries like Iran and Russia.

Froman points out that the summit will likely feature commercial deals, including Chinese commitments to buy U.S. soybeans and Boeing planes. These deals are part of a broader proposal for a “Board of Trade,” a standing body to manage bilateral trade through purchase commitments and tariff adjustments. While this might reduce the episodic tariff spats, it echoes failed past attempts like Clinton-era trade targets with Japan and does nothing to address China’s massive $1.2 trillion trade surplus or its dumping of subsidized goods worldwide.

More alarmingly, the summit sidesteps critical security issues. China’s rapid buildup of nuclear weapons—aiming for 1,500 warheads by 2035—goes unchecked as arms control treaties collapse. Taiwan’s future, which Xi insists must be “finally resolved,” remains off the table for serious discussion. The result is a transactional approach that prioritizes short-term stability over confronting authoritarian ambitions and economic abuses.

This summit is a stark example of the Trump administration’s preference for spectacle over substance. It offers the illusion of progress while leaving the core threats to global stability unaddressed. For Americans concerned about democracy and accountability, this is a reminder that “not fighting” is not the same as winning. The real work of holding power to account and pushing for a fair, transparent relationship with China remains undone.