United States President Donald Trump has upended long-standing views on China as he prepares to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday their first in-person encounter since 2019.
Trade remains central to Trump’s agenda as he seeks a deal between the world’s two largest economies. Despite years of tension, Trump has repeatedly praised Xi, describing him as a “brilliant guy” who governs “1.4 billion people with an iron fist.”
Speaking earlier on Fox News, the U.S. leader said, “He’s smart, brilliant, everything perfect. There’s nobody in Hollywood like this guy.”
Trump’s renewed engagement with Xi comes amid efforts to stabilize trade relations following fluctuating tariff threats. Both sides recently signaled progress toward a potential agreement after talks in Kuala Lumpur.
However, analysts remain skeptical about the depth of cooperation. Ryan Hass, a former China advisor under President Barack Obama, noted a divide between Trump’s deal-focused approach and Washington’s broader strategy to counter Beijing.
“China is interested in centering itself and pushing the United States to the periphery, not in having both countries sit at the center together,” said Hass, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He added that any deal China might pursue would likely be temporary rather than transformative.
In 2019, Trump touted a historic trade pact with China that aimed to boost U.S. exports by $200 billion, but the agreement faltered amid the COVID-19 pandemic. His administration later clashed with Beijing over the “Chinese virus” narrative, further straining ties.
President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, intensified pressure on China through technology restrictions while still pursuing cooperation on select issues.
Yun Sun, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, said Beijing may find Trump’s transactional style easier to navigate. “The Chinese have an issue with his tone, but they see him as someone they can work with,” she said. “They view Trump as more flexible than the Biden administration on certain matters.”
One key area of uncertainty is Taiwan. Analysts say Trump’s unpredictable stance could reshape traditional U.S. positions on the self-governing island, which China claims as its territory.
Henrietta Levin, a former State Department official, observed that meetings between the two powers used to follow a predictable script on Taiwan. “Now there’s uncertainty about how President Trump will respond when Xi raises the Taiwan question,” she said.
Levin added that Trump is comfortable linking strategic and economic issues, which could alter how Washington balances trade negotiations and security commitments.
Despite speculation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s support for Taiwan, saying the administration was not considering “walking away from Taiwan” in exchange for a trade deal.
As Trump and Xi prepare to meet, observers say their encounter could redefine the tone of U.S.-China relations whether as a moment of renewed cooperation or renewed competition.
