Diplomacy or ‘diplotainment’? Key takeaways from the Trump-Xi summit in Washington

Wisley Lau inquired about the criteria Xi and Trump would use to deem a successful outcome from their upcoming summit in Washington. Wendy Wu acknowledged the importance of the question, noting that the summit is still ongoing, with a second day of talks scheduled for tomorrow. During the first day of discussions, both nations addressed topics such as trade, artificial intelligence, and security.

The Chinese readout indicated that the two leaders had reached a "new joint arrangement" on trade, although specific details remain to be disclosed. Earlier this month, a two-month truce in their trade war was announced, potentially paving the way for further discussions aimed at fostering positive momentum despite the escalating rivalry in various fields, including AI.

Xi and Trump also pledged their support for each other during the upcoming APEC summit and G20, which are scheduled to take place later in the year. Although trade has traditionally been considered a stabilizing force in US-China relations, the Chinese government plans to disclose any consensus reached during the visit. The White House is expected to release a comprehensive list of outcomes or a fact sheet summarizing the visit sometime this weekend.

While the outcome of the summit may hinge on headline deals, the underlying success lies in establishing a consensus or commitment to long-term strategic stability. The scale and grandeur of the event itself underscore the significance of mitigating risks in one of the world's most intricate bilateral relationships.