Trump and Xi Deliver Pomp Instead of a Solution: Conflicts Merely Postponed
Published in Frankfurter Rundschau
(Germany) on 25 September 2026
by Andreas Schwarzkopf (link to
original)
At the meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, contentious issues such as Taiwan and Iran were left out of the discussion.
At their meeting, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping opted for much pomp and little substance. Both presented themselves as powerful leaders, not as problem solvers. It is questionable whether the U.S. president can use this to lift the bad mood before the midterms, to his own benefit and that of his Republicans.
But a public dispute over contentious issues such as Taiwan, Iran, Ukraine or artificial intelligence would not have been helpful either. That is why the conflicts have merely been postponed. An extended truce in the trade war at least buys both sides more time. Washington will try to reduce its dependence on China for rare earth metals. Until then, it remains unclear whether Trump will supply weapons to Taiwan or refrain from doing so in order to keep pleasing Xi.
Trump and Xi in Washington: Much Remains Unclear
This means that the confrontation with the dominant Asian power that Trump had announced has been postponed — at least for now. Consequently, the question of whether the world will be shaped by these two powers — or whether other countries will have to choose one or the other — has also been pushed into the background.
Germany and the other EU member states will therefore have to continue working to reduce their dependence on both powers. This will be a balancing act, because it is not just Europe that must continue cooperating with the U.S. and China. In a globalized world, anything else is unthinkable.
EU countries will need to negotiate contentious issues with Washington and Beijing. In this heated environment, Europeans can survive, but only if they work together more closely.
At their meeting, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping opted for much pomp and little substance. Both presented themselves as powerful leaders, not as problem solvers. It is questionable whether the U.S. president can use this to lift the bad mood before the midterms, to his own benefit and that of his Republicans.
But a public dispute over contentious issues such as Taiwan, Iran, Ukraine or artificial intelligence would not have been helpful either. That is why the conflicts have merely been postponed. An extended truce in the trade war at least buys both sides more time. Washington will try to reduce its dependence on China for rare earth metals. Until then, it remains unclear whether Trump will supply weapons to Taiwan or refrain from doing so in order to keep pleasing Xi.
Trump and Xi in Washington: Much Remains Unclear
This means that the confrontation with the dominant Asian power that Trump had announced has been postponed — at least for now. Consequently, the question of whether the world will be shaped by these two powers — or whether other countries will have to choose one or the other — has also been pushed into the background.
Germany and the other EU member states will therefore have to continue working to reduce their dependence on both powers. This will be a balancing act, because it is not just Europe that must continue cooperating with the U.S. and China. In a globalized world, anything else is unthinkable.
EU countries will need to negotiate contentious issues with Washington and Beijing. In this heated environment, Europeans can survive, but only if they work together more closely.
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