The world has just witnessed a historic summit between the two most powerful nations on earth – the United States and China. President Donald Trump’s two-day visit to China was remarkable on many fronts, and one that stands out is China’s assertion of itself on the world stage through bold statements and actions. Some of the messages China delivered bluntly to the US president were unprecedented. China’s positioning as a great power was clearly visible: strong, domineering, and respectful. With this status, China will help shape the international order to its liking in the future. Hence, the days of exclusive Western hegemony have essentially come to an end, and the Trump trip validated that.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pre-emptively told Trump that reunification of Taiwan is China’s foremost priority; if the US mishandles the issue, it could lead not only to a clash but to a conflict with the US. The US, on the other hand, reiterated its Strategic Ambiguity – that the US will neither support unilateral Taiwanese independence nor allow Chinese reunification without the consent of the Taiwanese citizens; the matter, however, is not as simple as the US made it out to be. To remind the US how important Taiwan’s reunification is to China, China made all other issues, including the war in Iran, trade, and regional matters, secondary during Trump’s visit; this is where the intricacies of great-power geopolitical competition come into play.
In December 2025, the US and Taiwan signed a $11 billion arms sales deal that includes rocket launchers, self-propelled howitzers, and various missiles. China immediately protested the deal and warned that such defensive cooperation would not help sustain a reasonable working relationship with the US. Additionally, another $14 billion in military hardware deals, including interceptor missiles for Patriot launchers, a missile-based air-defence system, and anti-drone equipment, are awaiting Senate approval. Before the trip, Trump did not want to move forward with the bill to avoid antagonising China. This may work for now, but things are going to change, as all Chinese actions indicate. Take the US’s temporary suspension of tariffs on Chinese imports, for example. It is set to expire in November, around the midterm elections, unless new rounds of negotiations update or modify it.
The most critical component of the US tariff suspension was China’s agreement to allow companies to export critical rare-earth minerals to the US, which are vital to the US auto, computer, smartphone, and arms manufacturing industries. If the US continues to sell arms to Taiwan, critical rare-earth supplies to the US could run out, resulting in hardship for US industries. The timing is important, as the midterm election will be held in November, and the Republican Party does not want to go into the election with data showing a loss of manufacturing jobs due to hostile tariff policies. The Chinese have a strong card to play here, and, as such, the US must not be unaware that China will use the Taiwan question in all kinds of possible deals.
The Taiwanese may breathe a sigh of relief that Trump explicitly avoided answering questions about them during his trip. However, Taiwan would certainly take note of what Xi said and how he articulated China’s position on Taiwan, “Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can totally go hand in hand, help each other succeed, and advance the well-being of the whole world.” Xi skillfully played the American political game here. He pointed out that America First is Trump’s signature agenda, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is his. And reunification of Taiwan is the salient feature of the Chinese rejuvenation plan. Therefore, both are nationalist slogans designed to elevate the status of the nations on the world stage. Under this premise, Trump could not disagree; rather, he expressed his admiration for Xi as a great leader.
Other critical issues the Trump visit was expected to address included the war against Iran and trade deals. However, China did not issue a concrete statement on how to end the war in Iran or on what China’s role in it would be. Rather, the US said China and the US are aligned on the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and that it should not be controlled and tolled by the Iranians. More importantly, the US did not suggest that China stop importing oil from Iran. Unlike in the past, when the US used to talk to China from a position of strength, demanding or sometimes dictating, it now talks to China on equal terms, a stark change in attitude and deference in the US’s approach to dealing with China. And this reflects China’s recognition as a great power.
Regarding trade deals with China, Xi assured US companies that they would have ‘wider’ access to Chinese markets. Accordingly, Boeing signed a deal to sell 200 jet planes to China, though the market had expected around 500. China also promised to buy beef and soybeans from the US. Nevertheless, all these deals and promises will be judged by how the US ‘handles’ the Taiwan issue, and this is one Chinese ‘red line’ that the US was told not to cross. Hence, the world would eagerly monitor how Taiwan’s reunification process unfolds, or whether the US ‘mishandling’ of the issue leads to instability within the region and beyond.
Finally, China’s great-power status is equalised in real time. The unspoken message in how Trump was received on the tarmac is historic. President Xi did not go to the airport to welcome Trump; instead, his deputies filled in for him. This action is telling. US presidents do not go to the airport to receive foreign dignitaries. The Chinese reciprocated that same treatment. The US must have taken note of this dramatic change in protocol.
History creates lasting memories; Trump’s trip, in that regard, has much to record for future US presidents. The days when the US could pressure China on human rights, economic liberalisation, and ideological opening are gone. Rather, China now tells the US what it wants and how it wants to accomplish it. This is a new China, one that will influence how the world order is constructed, and the US has been clearly informed and warned about it during Trump’s visit.
The writer is a Doctoral Researcher, International Relations, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
