Trump’s Two Days of Talks with China Ends With No Clear Deal 

Donald Trump has wrapped up his two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. His departure on Friday closed out meetings that covered some of the world’s most pressing issues and produced few confirmed agreements and two very different accounts of what was actually decided.

On trade, Trump told Fox News that China had agreed to purchase 200 Boeing jets, calling it one of several “fantastic trade deals for both countries.” China has not confirmed the deal. Boeing has not confirmed it either. Boeing shares fell more than 4% on Friday.

Both sides have released statements detailing what Trump and Xi discussed, but they only overlap in limited areas.

Both sides spoke on the war in Iran but diverged sharply on framing. The White House said both leaders agreed, “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.” China’s statement made no such declaration, saying only that the conflict “should never have happened” and calling for a political settlement.

On the Strait of Hormuz, the White House said Xi opposed militarisation of the waterway and expressed interest in buying more American oil. China’s statement mentioned neither.

Taiwan was the sharpest fault line. Xi told Trump it was “the most important issue in China-US relations”. He warned that mishandling it could lead to “clashes and even conflicts”. The White House post-summit statements did not mention Taiwan at all.

One point of agreement was that President Xi will visit the United States this autumn.