President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing on Thursday, with both agreeing on key issues regarding both nations and the world.
Included in those discussions was Iran, with the two leaders saying Tehran must open the Strait of Hormuz and cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.
Breaking down the discussions on “Fox & Friends” Thursday morning, co-host Brian Kilmeade made several observations based on reporting on discussions between Trump and Xi, noting especially the implications for Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin.
“It looks like he’s [Trump] saying, ‘We’re the two leaders, let’s find a way to get along.’ You know who’s having a really bad day and week or two weeks? Vladimir Putin,” Kilmeade said.
“I mean, not only is he beginning to lose the war in Ukraine, he’s seeing that special relationship supposed to realign the world go up in flames,” he continued.
“Because at the very least, if we’re just to look at the words of the leaders, they’re looking to work together,” he added.
“Vladimir Putin hoped to get China on their side and work together as a junior partner and isolate us,” he continued. “And I think that President Xi is saying, ‘well, that’s not gonna happen.’”
The two-day visit marks Trump’s first trip to China since 2017. The visit comes amid rising tensions over trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and the repercussions of the war with Iran.
While the White House is presenting the summit as a chance to create new economic agreements and “rebalance” the U.S.–China relationship, analysts believe that Beijing’s priorities are much broader and more focused on the long term.
“Trump arrives seeking headline deals and visible momentum ahead of the midterms,” wrote Zongyuan Zoe Liu, senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. “Xi is playing a longer game, focused on strategic patience rather than substantive compromise.”
Topics anticipated to be addressed during the summit include trade, aerospace, agricultural and energy agreements, as well as the establishment of a U.S.–China Board of Trade and a Board of Investment, according to the White House.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told reporters that Trump’s primary objective is to “deliver more good deals on behalf of our country” while ensuring U.S. national security.
On Thursday morning local time in Beijing, Trump took part in a welcome ceremony and a bilateral meeting with Xi. This was followed by a tour of the Temple of Heaven alongside the Chinese leader, and a state banquet later in the day.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy, stated that Beijing sees the summit as an opportunity to stabilize relations between the world’s two largest economies.
“Heads-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance for China–U.S. relations,” Liu said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We welcome President Trump’s state visit to China. China stands ready to work with the U.S. to expand cooperation and manage differences in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit, and provide more stability and certainty for a transforming and volatile world.”
For Xi, analysts suggest that the top priority is likely to avoid further escalation with Washington while buying time for China’s slowing economy, which continues to struggle with weak domestic demand, deflationary pressure, and industrial overcapacity.
A recent report from the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission warned that Beijing is intensifying its state-led industrial policy despite significant structural weaknesses in the Chinese economy, Fox News reported.
