The US-China tectonic plates have shifted
In rolling out the red carpet for China’s Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump underscored how rapidly the balance of power in the relationship has shifted.
The image of US President Donald Trump warmly greeting Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews is unprecedented. This marks a significant shift in the balance of power between the two nations, with China now seen as a true peer. Last year, China threatened to disrupt US rare earth supplies in response to Trump's tariffs, demonstrating China's willingness to challenge the US.
The historic ceremony included a 21-gun salute and a flyover by B-1B bombers, far beyond what was offered to Trump in Beijing earlier in the year. Although China provided symbolic gifts like pandas and expressed goodwill, their actions, such as supplying Russia with dual-use technology and supporting Iran's military efforts, contradict their rhetoric of coexistence.
The summit saw limited tangible outcomes, including a two-month extension of the trade truce and an AI hotline, but the overall assessment is that China has successfully tamed the United States, shifting the tectonic plates beneath US-China relations.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
