“Yeah, of course it's a step forward. … Scott Bessent had set this up weeks before the actual visit of President Xi occurred. … We all know that nothing terribly meaningful came out of this conversation. And look, Xi himself is waiting for 37 days when he will now face a president of the United States who has been rebuked by his own people. … But like I said, let's not be too harsh. Anytime we're talking to the Chinese and stopping misunderstandings and making incremental progress on things like AI or not starting another trade war, you know, it's a valuable couple of days.
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Xi's State Visit Ends With a Two-Month Extension of the Trade Truce, a New "Board of Trade" and a Pair of Pandas for Atlanta — Trump Calls It "One of Friendship, Strength, and Success," 21 Senate Democrats Say the Summit "Failed to Deliver," and Chuck Grassley Warns Trump Is "Making a Great Big Mistake by Having a Showcase of a Communist Autocrat"
September 25, 2026
Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington produced no signed Boeing, soybean or fentanyl deal and no White House readout. On Sept. 23, the day Xi arrived, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Fox that the "Busan Agreement" trade truce, due to expire Nov. 10, would be extended to Jan. 10, 2027, and USTR Jamieson Greer described a new U.S.-China "Board of Trade" to cut tariffs on lists of goods. The Sept. 24 summit also produced an AI crisis dialogue and two pandas for Zoo Atlanta. Trump called it "a great meeting" and on Sept. 25 posted that he and Xi would meet again in November in China and in December at the G20 in Miami. Reaction split largely along party lines. Twenty-one Senate Democrats led by Jeanne Shaheen said the summit "failed to deliver" and called the truce extension "a temporary band-aid on a crisis of the President's own making." Ron Wyden and Richard Neal said China was breaking its purchase promises while Trump punished allies. Farm-state Republicans welcomed the stability but wanted enforceable purchases, and Chuck Grassley said a truce extension alone would make the visit "a great big mistake."
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10 Statements
“The meeting was one of Friendship, Strength, and Success, for both China and the U.S.A. We will be meeting again in November, in China, and then at the G20 in December, in Miami, Florida.
“[Asked what if a truce extension were the only result of the summit:] Then all I can say is Trump is making a great big mistake by having a showcase of a communist autocrat.
“Diplomacy with China remains vital to preventing conflict and protecting American interests, but it must ultimately produce results for hardworking Americans. President Trump's summit today with President Xi Jinping failed to deliver. … President Trump rolled out the red carpet for Xi. Rather than confronting China's unfair trade practices, technology theft, complicity in attacks against our troops or economic and military aggression against our allies, President Trump opted for pageantry over purpose. … Extending the tariff truce is a temporary band-aid on a crisis of the President's own making.
“[Joint statement of 21 Senate Democrats:] President Trump opted for pageantry over purpose—trading tough diplomacy for a ballroom tour and a lavish dinner with his billionaire friends.
“In return for China breaking nearly every trade promise it has made, Trump is rolling out the red carpet for President Xi. China is shortchanging our farmers by refusing to buy the ag goods it promised.
“I'm hopeful a long-term trade agreement can be reached, but extending the trade truce provides much-needed stability for American producers and manufacturers while negotiations continue.
“[Neal said Trump is] cowering before China while he punishes our closest allies with unfair tariffs that are raising prices and fracturing our partnerships.
“Iowa producers need long-term certainty and expanded market access through an enforceable trade agreement that holds China accountable.
“We will extend what we call the 'Busan Agreement' — the economic détente between the two countries that was scheduled to end on Nov. 10 — that is going to be extended until Jan. 10. … There are some deliverables that have not been perfect on the Chinese side, so we also want to see, now that we've sat down and told them our expectations, if over the coming months they can be more fulsome in enacting the agreement.