Xi eases tensions with Trump

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended a two-day summit in Beijing on May 15 with both governments pointing to modest economic deliverables rather than a broader reset in ties. China’s Commerce Ministry said on May 16 that the two sides had reached a preliminary understanding on some tariff arrangements, agricultural trade and market-access issues. The White House followed on May 17 with a fact sheet saying China would buy at least $17 billion a year in U.S. agricultural products through 2028 and renew access for hundreds of U.S. beef facilities. The announcements left unresolved the larger disputes that have defined the relationship, including technology controls and Taiwan. ### What, exactly, came out of the Beijing meeting? China’s Commerce Ministry said on May 16 that Beijing and Washington had agreed to promote two-way trade through arrangements including mutual tariff reductions on a range of products, but it called the understandings “preliminary” and said they would be finalized as soon as possible. The ministry did not identify which goods would get tariff relief. (usnews.com) The same Chinese statement listed five initial outcomes from the talks, including tariff arrangements, expanded agricultural trade, progress on non-tariff barriers, and the creation of trade and investment councils. China’s official English-language government site said the new bodies would address each side’s concerns in trade and investment cooperation. (usnews.com) Donald Trump said during and after the visit that he had secured trade deals, but public details remained limited through the weekend. The New York Times reported that China’s tariff statement appeared to go beyond what Trump had publicly described at the close of the summit. ### Why did agriculture become the clearest deliverable? China’s Commerce Ministry said farm trade would expand through tariff reductions and work on market-access problems that have cut deeply into U.S. exports. (english.gov.cn) Reuters reported that China’s farm imports from the United States still faced an additional 10% levy and that U.S. agricultural exports to China fell 65.7% year over year to $8.4 billion in 2025, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture data. (nytimes.com) The White House said on May 17 that China would purchase at least $17 billion in U.S. agricultural products annually for 2026, 2027 and 2028. The administration also said Beijing would restore market access for U.S. beef and resume poultry imports from eligible U.S. states. Associated Press and Politico reported that the farm package was among the few concrete outcomes publicly identified after the summit. (usnews.com) Brooke Rollins, the U.S. agriculture secretary, said on X that China had agreed to implement beef commitments including resuming imports from 17 U.S. states. Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, said the United States expected China to buy “double-digit billions” of U.S. farm goods over the next three years, according to Reuters. (whitehouse.gov) ### Why are the tariff cuts being treated cautiously? China’s May 16 statement described the tariff understandings as an initial consensus, not a completed deal. Politico Europe reported that Beijing confirmed only a preliminary agreement to lower some tariffs and did not provide a timetable or product list. Reuters reported that market watchers expected a 10% cut in soybean tariffs, but that expectation came from analysts rather than from an announced government schedule. (usnews.com) Johnny Xiang of AgRadar Consulting told Reuters that tariff reductions on agricultural products would allow commercial Chinese buyers to re-enter the market. (politico.eu) ### Did the summit settle the bigger disputes between Washington and Beijing? Politico reported before the summit that Trump’s ambitions had narrowed from a possible grand bargain to smaller trade deals and requests for help on other issues. Zack Cooper, a former aide to President George W. Bush’s national security team, told Politico the meeting had become “the shrinking summit.” (usnews.com) The same report said issues including Beijing’s industrial subsidies, its military posture in the Indo-Pacific and other long-running disputes were likely to remain at the level of restated positions. CNBC reported after the summit that the two sides had announced few specific agreements even as both governments described the talks as stabilizing. ### What happens next? (politico.com) China’s Commerce Ministry said the preliminary understandings will be finalized “as soon as possible,” and Beijing’s official government site said the two sides will establish trade and investment councils to handle follow-up concerns. The White House has already begun publishing sector-by-sector details, including the farm purchase target and beef plant registrations. Further specifics are expected from the U.S. Trade Representative, China’s Commerce Ministry and any formal council announcements in the days ahead. (politico.com) (usnews.com)