Why the Trump-Xi relationship may be the weakest link in US-China ties

AI Summary

The US-China diplomatic relationship shows signs of strain as analysts highlight its heavy dependence on the top leaders Xi Jinping and Donald Trump. The recent summit produced few concrete outcomes, reflecting broader challenges in this significant global bilateral relationship.

As the summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump fades in the rear-view mirror, marked by anaemic deliverables, poor transparency and missed opportunities, analysts and former US officials point to another disappointment: the world’s most consequential relationship has become inordinately dependent on the two nations’ top leaders. Trump’s May China trip, the first by a US president in nearly a decade, produced vague and contradictory readouts, puffed up promises,...