A recent summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping yielded modest results, leaving bilateral ties heavily reliant on personal rapport between the leaders.
Following the summit, analysts and former US officials noted that deep structural problems went unaddressed, making relations increasingly dependent on occasional contact between the presidents.
Evan Medeiros, Asia studies chair at Georgetown University and a former China director at the National Security Council, said: “Coming out of this visit, it’s pretty clear that Donald Trump runs China policy.”
He added that Trump is heavily invested personally and politically in the relationship and is expected to serve as the China desk officer for the remainder of 2026.
Beijing typically prepares exhaustively for summits, yet Trump’s turbulent and mercurial management style offers a rickety foundation for stability.
