May 14, 2026 14:42 pm IST

Opinion | Trump-Xi Meeting, And The Problem With Dismissing America Too Soon

America is bruised, sure. But appearances can be deceptive in great-power politics.

Srijan Shukla Srijan Shukla Columnist

Srijan Shukla Columnist

In the opening hours of Donald Trump's first day of meetings in China, Xi Jinping appears to be sending a clear message: let's address the hard stuff upfront. Central to Xi's messaging was the warning that the "Taiwan question" remains fundamental to the future of Sino-US ties. At the same time, Xi emphasised the possibility of Washington and Beijing evolving into economic partners rather than strategic rivals. And in his outreach to American CEOs, he signalled China's willingness to further open its economy to US businesses.

These almost perfunctory messages are along expected lines, and most don't expect much to come out of Trump's maiden visit to China during his second term. The real intrigue regarding this trip stems from the domestic and global political circumstances Trump finds himself in. As he boarded the Air Force 1 to Beijing, the general perception was that a significantly weakened American leader was meeting his Chinese counterpart.

The question is, is this perception accurate? And if yes, does it give Xi greater leverage? 

Let's consider Trump's position across three different parameters.

On the broad question of geopolitics and the US's position in the world as the preeminent power, America has taken an undeniable beating. The summit with Xi was originally scheduled to take place in April, but Trump postponed it to May with the hope that he could end the war in Iran before taking the trip to Beijing. But that didn't happen; the Strait of Hormuz continues to be closed, and Washington and Tehran are arguably as close to a deal as they were before this war started.

More than the actual outcome of the war, what seems to be looming in the background is the supposed reputational hit the US will suffer from initiating this stalemate of a war. Standard international relations........

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