Trump, Xi Wrap Up Summit With National Archives Visit as Taiwan Question Lingers
Trump and Xi concluded their White House summit with a National Archives tour, as Beijing pressed Washington on Taiwan and analysts watched for signals.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping closed out their summit on Friday with a visit to the US National Archives, a setting intended to spotlight the history and future direction of the relationship between the world's two largest economies.
Trump said the two leaders would view foundational American documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, along with items reflecting the long-standing ties and cultural exchanges between the United States and China. He framed the visit as a continuation of a relationship built on trade, learning and shared ambitions.
Thursday's state summit at the White House, however, was long on ceremony and short on concrete outcomes. No major breakthroughs emerged between Washington and Beijing. Trump pointed to progress through a bilateral trade mechanism, citing expanded market access for American farmers and ranchers, while both sides identified artificial intelligence as a potential area of cooperation.
Taiwan remained the most sensitive issue. Xi pressed Trump on the matter during the talks, expressing hope that the United States would handle the Taiwan question with prudence. Chinese state media reported that Xi urged Washington to adhere to the position of opposing Taiwan independence.
Beijing has long sought a public US statement opposing Taiwanese independence, rather than the longstanding American formulation of not supporting it, and has also pushed for a halt to US arms sales to the island. Washington maintains no formal diplomatic ties with Taipei but remains its most important international backer and is bound by law to provide it with means of self-defence.
Analysts said Xi's language may signal that Beijing believes it has established a new baseline with Trump on Taiwan. Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Xi's use of the word "adhere" was revealing, suggesting Beijing believes Washington is already behaving as it wants. He added that in the context of a current pause on Taiwan arms sales, China may increasingly view that restraint as a new baseline rather than a temporary halt.
Trump's post-summit remarks on Taiwan will be closely watched by US allies in Asia. After a May summit with Xi, Trump said he was holding a second arms package to Taiwan, worth about $14 billion, in abeyance and described it as a negotiating chip. His administration had approved an $11 billion package in December.
On Thursday, Senate Democrats criticised the summit, saying Trump had failed to secure meaningful concessions from Beijing on trade, security, artificial intelligence or human rights. They also faulted him for not publicly addressing China's military pressure on Taiwan and called for the immediate delivery of approved military aid and arms sales to the island.