U.S. President Donald Trump departed Beijing on Friday following a high-profile summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with French newspapers Le Figaro and Libération both marking the meeting as a significant moment in recent U.S.-China relations — though from notably different angles.
On the surface, the summit projected optimism. Trump declared the two sides had reached “fantastic” and “dream-like” commercial deals beneficial to both nations, while Xi described the visit in more measured diplomatic terms as “historically significant,” emphasizing a “constructive and stable” bilateral relationship.
A key topic was the escalating Middle East crisis. Trump claimed Xi personally assured him that China would not supply military equipment to Iran and would help ease tensions around the Strait of Hormuz — a concession Trump framed as a major diplomatic win. However, Beijing simultaneously signaled that the conflict “should not have happened,” implying shared blame on the U.S. and Israel. China’s posture — limited cooperation without full alignment with Washington — reflects its realist approach to the region, where its own energy security depends heavily on Gulf shipping routes.
On trade, Trump announced Chinese commitments to purchase 200 large Boeing aircraft and increase imports of American oil and agricultural products. Le Figaro viewed these deals relatively favorably, highlighting their potential to ease bilateral trade tensions. Libération was more skeptical, characterizing the announcements as largely symbolic, with deep structural competition in technology, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and rare earths remaining unresolved.
Taiwan remained the most sensitive flashpoint. Xi had previously warned against stronger U.S. support for Taiwan, while Secretary of State Rubio reaffirmed that American policy had not changed.
Both papers ultimately read the summit as a “limited de-escalation” rather than genuine reconciliation — a mutual, temporary effort to stabilize relations without addressing the underlying rivalry.
Source: Radio France International, May 15, 2026
https://rfi.my/Chde