Donald Trump built much of his political brand by portraying China as an economic threat to the United States. A decade later, the US President is preparing to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington with a state dinner, while increasingly emphasising his personal relationship with the leader of America’s biggest strategic competitor.
The change in tone comes ahead of Xi’s September 24 visit to Washington, his second meeting with Trump this year following their talks in Beijing in May. The two countries remain divided over trade, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and geopolitical issues, but Trump has recently adopted a markedly warmer public posture towards Xi.
“He’s a great gentleman; we get along great,” Trump said this month, describing China as a competitor while maintaining that Washington had a “very good relationship” with Xi.
From tariffs to truce
Trump’s approach to China has evolved after a prolonged tariff confrontation failed to produce a comprehensive settlement of longstanding economic disputes.
A trade truce reached in November 2025 capped US tariffs on Chinese goods at around 20 per cent after tit-for-tat increases had pushed duties on both sides into triple digits. The US Supreme Court later struck down tariffs imposed under national emergency powers, prompting the administration to rebuild parts of its tariff regime using other legal authorities.
The current trade truce expires on November 10, making its extension one of the central issues ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting.
China’s dominance of several critical-mineral supply chains has also given Beijing considerable leverage. Under earlier agreements, China pledged to restore flows of critical minerals to US and global users, but American officials have said supplies remain below expectations.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng began talks in New York on Sunday aimed at preparing potential agreements for the presidential summit. Tariffs, critical minerals and safeguards surrounding artificial intelligence are among the key subjects being discussed.
Personal diplomacy
Trump has increasingly emphasised his personal relationship with Xi while avoiding direct confrontation with the Chinese leader on some contentious issues.
When reports emerged that China had provided Iran with satellite imagery, Trump responded that Xi had “behaved reasonably well”. He has also suggested that present-day China should be viewed differently from Beijing at the time of alleged attempts to access US voter information in 2020.
The diplomatic warmth will be particularly visible during Xi’s visit. Trump is expected to host him at a state dinner, reciprocating the hospitality extended to the US President during his Beijing trip in May.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is also expected to attend the dinner, highlighting the importance of artificial intelligence and semiconductor technology to the relationship.
Taiwan remains fault line
Behind the cordial public language, however, major strategic disagreements remain unresolved.
Taiwan is expected to be among the most sensitive subjects during the summit. Beijing claims the democratically governed island as its territory, while Washington maintains unofficial relations with Taipei and remains its most important arms supplier.
Xi warned Trump during their May meeting that mishandling Taiwan could push bilateral relations towards a “dangerous” situation. Officials and analysts in Taiwan and some US-allied countries have since expressed concern about whether Washington’s position could shift as Trump seeks economic agreements with Beijing.
No such concession has been announced, and the White House has not indicated that its longstanding Taiwan policy has formally changed.
AI, trade on agenda
Artificial intelligence is emerging as another major negotiating area. Washington and Beijing are exploring possible safeguards around advanced AI systems while simultaneously competing for technological leadership.
The two sides are also discussing lower tariffs on non-strategic goods, Chinese purchases of American agricultural products and aircraft, and investment rules.
China, meanwhile, is sending a delegation of business executives to the United States for economic and trade consultations ahead of the summit, mirroring the participation of American corporate leaders during Trump’s Beijing visit.
Whether the warmer atmosphere translates into major agreements remains uncertain. The Washington meeting will nevertheless offer another test of Trump’s increasing reliance on leader-to-leader diplomacy to manage a relationship still defined by intense economic and strategic competition.