Trump Hails “Fantastic Trade Deals” After High-Stakes Talks With Xi in Beijing

President Donald Trump said the United States and China had reached what he described as “fantastic trade deals” during his two-day summit in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as both sides attempted to stabilize relations while also confronting deep geopolitical tensions over Taiwan and the Middle East.

Trump arrived in China aiming to secure agreements in areas such as agriculture, aviation, and artificial intelligence, while also addressing disputes tied to trade, security, and the ongoing conflict involving Iran. Speaking after meetings at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound near the Forbidden City, Trump said the talks had produced significant progress.

“We’ve made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries,” Trump told reporters after walking through the compound’s gardens with Xi. “We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve.” He did not provide detailed terms of the agreements.

Xi described the visit as a “milestone visit” and said the two countries had established “a new bilateral relationship” based on “constructive strategic stability.” During the visit, the Chinese leader also promised to send rose seeds to the White House after Trump praised the flowers in the Zhongnanhai gardens as the most beautiful he had seen.

Trade discussions appeared to produce several preliminary understandings. Trump said Xi had agreed to purchase “200 big” Boeing aircraft, while American officials also pointed to Chinese interest in buying US oil and soybeans. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said both countries were also discussing new “guardrails” for artificial intelligence cooperation, although export restrictions on advanced US technology to China remain unresolved.

The summit also focused heavily on the crisis surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said Xi had assured him China would not provide military support to Tehran. “He said he’s not going to give military equipment … he said that strongly,” Trump stated in an interview with Fox News.

According to Trump, Xi also expressed support for reopening the strategically critical waterway. “He’d like to see the Hormuz Strait open, and said ‘if I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help,’” the US president said.

China’s Foreign Ministry later issued a statement calling for “a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire” and urged the reopening of shipping lanes as quickly as possible. “There is no point in continuing this conflict which should not have happened in the first place,” the statement added.

Despite the warm public tone between the two leaders, Taiwan remained one of the most sensitive issues discussed during the summit. Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Trump that mishandling the Taiwan question could push the two powers toward “clashes and even conflicts.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later insisted that Washington’s position had not changed. “US policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged,” Rubio said, adding that Beijing had raised the issue during discussions but that the US side had reiterated its long-standing position before moving to other topics.

Taiwanese officials responded by thanking Washington for repeatedly expressing support for the island. The issue remains especially tense after the US approved a multibillion-dollar arms package for Taiwan late last year.

Meanwhile, instability around the Strait of Hormuz continued to fuel global concern. Reports emerged of vessels being seized or attacked near Iranian waters, while Iran has maintained restrictions on shipping through the strait since the outbreak of war involving the United States and Israel earlier this year.

The summit itself was closely watched as an attempt to preserve the fragile trade truce reached between Washington and Beijing late last year. Under that arrangement, the US suspended major tariff increases on Chinese goods while China eased restrictions on rare earth exports.

Still, some observers noted that the talks lacked major economic breakthroughs despite the optimistic rhetoric. Others criticized the optics of the summit, pointing out that both delegations during key meetings consisted almost entirely of men.

Trump nevertheless ended the visit on a positive note, saying he hoped ties between the two countries would emerge stronger. “Hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before,” he wrote on Truth Social before departing Beijing.