Trump-Xi takeaways: If there were takeaways, Trump's not sharing them

The stakes were high during the meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, but if there were any tangible political, economic or national security victories, they are so far shrouded in mystery. The most obvious result was the lavish welcome the Chinese dictator received from Trump for Xi's first visit to the United States in more than a decade. The president traveled to Joint Base Andrews to greet Xi and his wife in person as American service members literally rolled out the red carpet minutes before the Chinese leader stepped off the plane. A military choir serenaded Xi and a who's who guest list of American business leaders, billionaires and Washington elite at a glitzy state dinner in the East Room of the White House.President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands alongside first lady Melania Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan as the depart after a tour the National Archives Museum in Washington, September 25, 2026.Kylie Cooper/ReutersTrump took Xi on a tour of his construction projects, including his White House ballroom and helipad, exclaiming Xi "loves good granite." Indeed, Xi seemed impressed."I want to thank the honorable president and the first lady for everything they've done for myself and my wife during this visit. Everything is down to the highest order of perfection," Xi said through a translator at the White House on Friday. "And there is thought in every little detail. And it's greatly appreciated." Trump's take at the end of the visit was, "We've had a tremendous visit from two spectacular people, and we've really enjoyed it. And I think we've made tremendous strides. We've made great strides, very positive for both countries."President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, China's President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan view the Constitution, Bill of Rights and other documents at the National Archives, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Washington.Alex Brandon/AP PhotoTrump did not elaborate. He echoed those sentiments on his Truth Social platform and added only that he and Xi plan to meet in person twice more before the end of the year.When asked by a reporter if the two leaders discussed the war in Iran, Trump said, "We did, we did," and adding "I think we're going to do great," when pressed on potential progress in the Strait of Hormuz. David Perdue, the U.S. ambassador to China, said in an interview on Fox News on Friday the U.S. has evidence China "directly or indirectly" has supported Iran in the war, and that Trump challenged Xi on the issue during this summit. "President Trump made it clear it is unacceptable to us to have any interaction with Iran with support of the war," Perdue said. He insisted China made a "commitment not to engage in assistance." Popular ReadsAt one point, Trump told reporters the U.S. and China will continue "speaking a lot" before suggesting potential action between the two countries in the agriculture industry without offering any specifics. "We'll be speaking a lot. I think our farmers are going to be very happy. A lot of very positive things happened," he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump speak during a state dinner at the White House in Washington, September 24, 2026.Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersOn the topic of artificial intelligence, Trump was less focused on making public assurances that the two technology leaders could fend off warnings about the end of humanity from tech leaders, and more interested in getting Xi to go along with his plan to rebrand the industry as "super intelligence." In another social media post, Trump said Xi "seemed to like calling the poorly and inaccurately named Artificial Intelligence to a far more accurate and important name, SUPER INTELLIGENCE. That would be "SUPER!," Trump wrote.Chinese state media reported Xi told Trump that AI must be kept under human control.According to Xinhau, Xi told Trump that a people-centered approach should be upheld, and AI should be developed for the positive and for good, so that AI will serve the progress of humanity.It's unknown what went on behind closed doors, but many Republicans had clear expectations that Trump would put pressure on Xi. "China is an adversary, and we have to be very clear-eyed about that. And we have to press them on issues whether its military, whether its trade, whether its AI or anything else we have to be very clear-eyed and we have to press them hard," Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said Thursday. Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott said he understands that Trump has to be diplomatic, "but Xi's a despicable person that is killing us with fentanyl and building a military to try to defeat us."