About this episode

The episode analyzes the outcomes and implications of the Xi-Trump summit held in Beijing.

Twists and turns can be expected for the rest of this year. Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times will now analyse the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and Greater China bureaus. For May, host and deputy foreign editor Albert Wai teams up again with senior China correspondent Yew Lun Tian. Their focus is on the Xi-Trump summit held in Beijing from May 13-14, 2026.  Heading into the event, expectations were modest as US President Donald Trump appeared to be distracted by war in the Middle East. At first glance, the deliverables might have seemed slightly underwhelming.  But the bottom line is both men got a bit of what they needed. Mr Trump got purchases for Boeing jets, agricultural products and possibly energy, while Chinese President Xi Jinping articulated a “new positioning” of bilateral relations. There are also implications for cross-strait ties, with Beijing framing the Taiwan issue as something to be treated with utmost caution while Washington signalled that it might be rethinking the latest tranche of arms sales to the island. With many geopolitical issues on the agenda, the…

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