China relishes Trump-Xi summit as US-China trade truce extended to January and AI talks launched

From the Newshound archive · first published 28 September 2026.

China claimed equal standing after Trump gave Xi Jinping a full state-visit reception at the White House, a ceremony Beijing interpreted as a major diplomatic victory. The two sides agreed to extend the trade truce to 10 January, struck a $30 billion tariff reduction deal covering goods from foie gras to farm products, and announced a fresh AI dialogue, with follow-up talks scheduled for November. Critics argued the summit delivered little beyond panda diplomacy, noting the absence of a joint statement and Beijing's exclusion from soybean relief. Both leaders are expected to meet twice more before year-end — at APEC in Shenzhen and the G20 in Miami.

Beijing only confirmed the trade truce extension on Monday, describing it as "space to advance talks" — though it had pushed for a considerably longer agreement.

The two countries agreed to establish an AI dialogue and create a mechanism to stop AI-related incidents from escalating into direct confrontation.

Trump reportedly asked Xi whether China wished to purchase US arms — a disclosure that drew concern from hawkish figures within the administration itself.