{
  "id": 9705377,
  "title": "USA und China: „Richtige Haltung“: Xi lobt Donald Trumps Sicht auf Taiwan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/usa-und-china-richtige-haltung-xi-lobt-donald-trumps-sicht-auf-taiwan",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-25T05:08:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/usa-und-china-richtige-haltung-xi-lobt-donald-trumps-sicht-auf-taiwan/100256859.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "On a Thursday morning in Washington, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan received an unprecedented reception from US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania. The previous evening, Trump had personally escorted Xi from the airport, a gesture of great honor for a state guest. Images of American soldiers kneeling on the red carpet just before Xi's arrival went viral. The day followed a pattern of grand gestures from the American host, including the formation flight of fighter jets. This display of ostentatiousness and Trump's desire for recognition from his guest stood in stark contrast to the relationship between the two countries beyond meticulously planned state visits. For years, the US has labeled China as a threat in its official strategic documents. Meanwhile, China's aggressive behavior in the South China Sea and its suspected support for Russia in the Ukraine war and Iran in its conflict with the US have further strained relations. In a rare address to the nation, Trump accused China of having manipulated the 2020 US presidential election, the election he lost to Joe Biden. Republican politicians strongly rejected the lavish gestures towards Xi in this context. \"We have never been better understood,\" Trump boasted just minutes before the grand dinner honoring Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan. Around 134 guests were invited to the table where Trump and Xi, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, sat. Among them were Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook with their wives, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Trump's major donor Miriam Adelson, and influential AI advisor David Sacks. Chinese business representatives were not present. Earlier, Trump had denied access to major US television networks to the White House, an unprecedented move. In this context, Xi's words, which have become increasingly authoritarian in China, seemed almost cynically zany: \"We felt at home thanks to you,\" he praised. In several photos, he was seen smiling, a rare sight. Xi reciprocated some of the grand gestures of his host. He declared at the beginning of the meeting that the Thucydides trap could be overcome, a concept describing the risk of war between a rising and an established world power. He also announced that he would send the US two pandas, a diplomatic tool with a long tradition. Given the difficulty of the relationship beyond the grand gestures, expectations for the meeting were low. In fact, only little substantive information leaked by Thursday evening. Unity with Taiwan is Xi's life goal. The Chinese Communist Party claims sovereignty over the independent, democratic island, though it has never ruled there. Unification with China is Xi's ultimate goal. The US, however, is viewed as Taiwan's most important protector. Xi seems to see an historic opportunity in Trump, who thinks in deals and shows little concern for diplomatic niceties, to achieve his goal and prevent the US from intervening militarily in Taiwan in the worst-case scenario. After their last meeting in Beijing in May, Trump referred to the decision on a record $14 billion arms shipment to Taiwan as a \"good negotiating tool\" against Chinese leadership, a novelty in relations. So far, he has not granted permission, to the relief of Beijing. It remained unclear whether Xi's favorable remarks about the US policy towards Taiwan were related to the withheld weapons shipment or if Trump had shifted away from the official US position. In the past, Beijing had also claimed in official readouts that governments support its \"one China principle,\" which was not true. Only a few details about the conversations were released during the two-hour meeting between Trump and Xi, described by Trump as \"great.\" Beyond Taiwan, they discussed trade, artificial intelligence (AI), the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. Xi emphasized that the economic and trade teams of both sides had held new consultations and reached a new joint agreement. He did not provide details. However, like the last meeting in Beijing, official statements from the Chinese Foreign Ministry only released bits and pieces of the conversation results later. US negotiators and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had already announced at Xi's arrival in Washington that the embargo on trade sanctions against China would be extended by two months. This would suspend US tariffs on Chinese imports until January 10, in exchange for China allowing the export of rare earths and permanent magnets to the US. So far, Beijing has not confirmed this agreement.",
  "summary": "Von Rivalität keine Spur: Der US-Präsident empfängt Chinas Staats- und Parteichef in Washington mit großen Gesten. Eine Äußerung Xis zum Konfliktthema Taiwan sorgt für Rätselraten.",
  "key_points": [
    "Xi praised Trump's view on Taiwan, smiling in photos",
    "Trump accused China of manipulating 2020 US election",
    "US extended trade sanctions embargo on China by two months"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Xi's praise for Trump's view on Taiwan suggests a strategic convergence that may embolden China to pursue its unification goal, potentially at the expense of the island's current status.",
  "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."
}