Trump Returns From Beijing Summit With Xi After Few Major Trade Deals Confirmed

President Donald Trump returned to the U.S. after a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing that both sides framed as progress but produced no major agreements or breakthroughs before Trump departed.

Trump told reporters in Beijing on Friday, "We've made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries," and he said he and Xi "agree very much on trade" while aboard Air Force One on the way back.

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The only specific deal Trump announced during the summit was a commitment by China to purchase 200 planes from Boeing, and CBC News reported that analysts were struggling to find evidence of major change because public statements left outcomes "far heavier on ceremony than on specifics."

The summit also focused on stabilizing the U.S.-China relationship and maintaining the fragile truce reached at the end of last year, with Washington agreeing to cut tariffs on all Chinese products while Beijing agreed to suspend restrictions on rare-earth exports.

In parallel, the talks addressed the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz, with NBC News saying Trump discussed the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz with Xi and that Trump did not ask Xi for help in ending the monthslong war.

Xi warned Trump during the summit that mishandling Taiwan could trigger "clashes and even conflicts," and NBC News reported that Xi warned Trump on Day 1 that mishandling China's claims on Taiwan could cause "clashes and even conflicts," with the disputed island central to Beijing's view of the talks.

Trump said he was unsure whether to greenlight a planned $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan after discussing arms sales in "great detail" with Xi Jinping, and Axios reported that Trump made the remark while discussing a $14 billion arms package that his administration has held up for months.

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On the plane back to D.C., Trump told reporters, "The last thing we need right now is a war that's 9,500 miles away," while he also said he did not want to provoke a conflict over Taiwan.

NBC News reported that Trump said he has not made a decision on whether to proceed with the $14 billion arms sale to the democratic island, and it added that Xi warned Trump that mishandling Taiwan could lead to clashes or conflict.

In a separate account, ABC News said Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, "I'll make a determination over the next fairly short period," after Xi's warning, and it quoted Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh saying they are "paying close attention."

Multiple outlets described the summit’s trade outcomes as limited and not fully confirmed, with Al Jazeera saying China has not mentioned Boeing or other trade deals in its post-summit statement and that "Other trade deals have not been confirmed or announced by either side so far."

Al Jazeera also reported Trump told Fox News that China had agreed to buy 200 jets from Boeing, while Boeing had not confirmed the deal in that account, and it said there was no indication of any breakthrough deal on advanced AI Nvidia chips.

CBS News quoted Wendy Cutler saying, "I was expecting that China would announce mega purchases of U.S. agriculture, energy and airplanes," and it added that experts saw no big wins for the U.S. because "So far, it doesn't seem like Trump and his team have a lot to show for the visit."

The White House said the U.S. established a "Board of Trade" and "Board of Investment" to manage the economic relationship, and CBS News said non-binding commitments left specifics on the deals "scant".

Beyond trade, NBC News reported Trump said rising prices related to the Iran war will cause "short-term pain," while the summit’s Iran discussions included the Strait of Hormuz remaining open to support the free flow of energy.