“Two diametrically opposed empires, led by two antagonistic personalities, will try, during a meeting, to prevent the flames of a transitioning world from turning into an uncontrollable blaze,” gravely summarized El País.
Described by the international press as “decisive,” “strategic,” “high-risk,” and “with enormous stakes,” this meeting began on Thursday morning at 10:00 local time (4:00 in France) in front of the People’s Palace, on Tiananmen Square, with “a ceremonial fanfare” and a meticulously choreographed military review, highlighting “the importance that both parties attach to this visit, while expectations for major breakthroughs remain cautious,” observed Channel News Asia (CNA).
The two men appeared relaxed, exchanging pleasantries and comments – the word “wonderful” was reportedly uttered by Donald Trump several times, and the White House tenant seemed particularly enchanted by the sight of dozens of children hopping with bouquets of flowers shouting “Welcome!”
The American and Chinese delegations entered the People’s Palace just before 10:30 and sat around a huge table for the first bilateral exchange on Donald Trump’s official visit to China – the first in nine years for a U.S. president. The billionaire arrived in Beijing on Wednesday evening and is set to depart for the United States on Friday.
In the opening discussions, Xi told Trump, sitting right in front of him: “We should be partners, not rivals, working for mutual success, thriving together, and charting the right path for great countries of the new era to coexist,” reported NBCNews.
Trump, in return, praised their “fantastic relationship” and expressed “immense respect” for Xi and China, calling the latter a “great leader,” according to the American channel. “He added that the American delegation was looking forward to discussing reciprocal trade exchanges.”
However, the two men carefully avoided mentioning the war in Iran in their opening remarks, undoubtedly saving the subject for their private discussions. Besides “a wide array of thorny issues, including trade and technology,” the Iranian conflict is expected to “loom over the meeting,” with Donald Trump wanting to “urge Xi to exert pressure on Tehran” to find a way out of the war, noted CNN.
The U.S. president also praised his delegation – entirely composed of men, like the Chinese delegation – where notably figures his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and his Defense Minister, Pete Hegseth.
“This summit could determine whether the détente that has prevailed between the two superpowers will continue, as well as the concessions, if any, that each party is willing to make,” analyzed The New York Times.
For the American newspaper, Xi Jinping’s “absolute priority” remains Taiwan, “the most likely issue to trigger a war between the two superpowers.” Xi might try to persuade Trump to “break with the longstanding American policy by getting him to declare opposition to Taiwan’s independence.”
An ambitious goal, acknowledges the newspaper, but the Chinese leader “has a strong asset: the economic leverage China has over Tehran, as well as the prospect that it could potentially help reopen the Strait [of Hormuz] and mitigate the economic repercussions of the war, which are escalating.”
Yet, the official Chinese discourse, echoed by the Global Times, is much more conciliatory and optimistic, assuring that the two countries are moving “toward mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.” For the newspaper linked to the Chinese Communist Party, the future of Sino-American relations is simply “bright.”
