{
  "id": 7259633,
  "title": "Handshake or arm-wrestling match? What China’s stock traders expect from Xi-Trump meeting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/handshake-or-arm-wrestling-match-what-chinas-stock-traders-expect",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-14T06:03:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SCMP Business",
    "slug": "scmp-business",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3367417/handshake-or-arm-wrestling-match-what-chinas-stock-traders-expect-xi-trump-meeting"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chinese and US presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are set to meet on September 24 in Washington, a meeting that has captured the attention of market traders in mainland China and Hong Kong. The results of the meeting, whether amicable handshakes or a tense exchange, could lead to market volatility. However, current market expectations for substantial outcomes from the meeting are low, with investors largely putting the event on the back burner. Many traders are paying less attention to the meeting compared to Trump's visit to China in May, even as signs of escalating tensions between the world's two largest economies emerge. It is widely anticipated that the leaders will renew the existing trade agreement and sign some industry-specific pacts, but key structural issues and differences will remain unresolved. According to William Bratton, head of cash equity research for Asia-Pacific at BNP Paribas, investors should not be too optimistic about the trip, as the base case expectations are for a commitment to \"constructive strategic stability\" and the finalization of earlier agreed trade commitments, with the truce on tariffs being extended. Market reactions have been subdued in the lead-up to the summit, with China's CSI 300 Index dropping almost 4% over the past month and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index retreating 1%. The two benchmarks had risen by 3% before their last meeting in May. While at the summit, Xi may be accompanied by prominent business leaders in technology, electric vehicles, and aerospace, mirroring the delegation of US CEOs Trump brought to China. The talks are expected to focus on trade, technology, and geopolitics, with the aim of maintaining stability beyond the tariff truce, keeping dialogues alive, and stabilising relations before significant political events such as the US midterm elections in November. Tensions between Beijing and Washington have been simmering ahead of the meeting, with the US considering imposing a 7.5% tariff on Chinese imports due to alleged manufacturing overcapacity and new restrictions on China's access to advanced AI chips via data centres. China declined to endorse a joint communique at the G20 finance summit due to disagreements over trade surplus rhetoric. While large structural issues are unlikely to be resolved, a slightly positive outcome that shows the current framework is holding is still anticipated. According to a survey by Goldman Sachs, 46% of offshore investors expect modest gains in Chinese stocks following the leadership summit, with a baseline expectation of stabilisation rather than a significant improvement or deterioration in US-China relations. Both sides have incentives to avoid renewed escalation, but strategic competition over trade, technology, and national security is likely to persist.",
  "summary": "The coming meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump is on the radar of market traders in mainland China and Hong Kong, as the results – whether smiling handshakes or a tense test of wills – could lead to market volatility. However, current market expectations of substantial results from the meeting are so low that investors have so far put the event on the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}