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Here’s How Xi and Trump Could Deliver Big Results at Their Summit

Agreements on AI, shipping chokepoints and industrial overcapacity would help ease uncertainty
Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping greet each other as they arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025.Photographer: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
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Expectations are low for this week’s Beijing summit between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies. But let’s imagine for a moment US President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping sitting down and delivering the best outcome imaginable for the global economy. What would that look like?

Before we go any further there’s an enormous caveat. The two men involved, embedded suspicions, dueling ideologies and national rivalries that mean any economic links are viewed as potential security risks all combine to make this an intentionally naive exercise. But Monday mornings in Spring should be about innocence and hope. So here goes.