"It was historic, to be sure, but not as anyone had predicted. First there was Donald Trump, a self-declared teetotaler, apparently drinking champagne after Xi Jinping assured him that China's great rejuvenation could go hand in hand with Make America great again. Then there was a Chinese military band playing a rendition of the US president's signature campaign song, YMCA. Beneath giant chandeliers, blue and gold balconies and a big orange backdrop with pagoda-style roofs, Thursday's state banquet in Beijing featured characters whose presence would have been unthinkable here a decade ago: Elon Musk, the eccentric tech billionaire, Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host turned secretary of war, and of course Trump himself, a former reality TV star now leading the world's biggest superpower."
"As the guests dug into a quirky menu that included lobster in tomato soup, crispy beef ribs, Beijing roast duck and slow-cooked salmon in mustard sauce, the mood was convivial after the first day of a summit that had offered cosy choreography and the promise of stability in the world's most important bilateral relationship. But by the time Trump and his entourage boarded Air Force One on Friday, the generous helpings of food might not have been enough to stave off an empty feeling. He came, he saw, he left without much to show for it: no swift end to the war in Iran, no definitive answer on the fate of Taiwan and only the vague outlines of corporate mega-deals."
"Underwhelmed observers suggested that the summit failed to live up to the hype. It was heavier on symbolism than it was on substance, Rush Doshi, director of the China Strategy Initiative at the Council on Foreign Relations thinktank in Washington, told reporters. There was a focus on managing problems, not on solving the problems that exist between the US and China A lot of pomp, a lot of pageantry, a lot of symbolism but not a lot of substance or deliverables."
A state banquet in Beijing featured Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Pete Hegseth alongside Chinese cultural performances and a menu of elaborate dishes. The event followed a summit marked by coordinated ceremony and promises of stability in the US-China relationship. Despite the convivial atmosphere and high-profile guests, the following day brought a sense of underwhelming results. Trump left without swift progress on ending the war in Iran, without a definitive answer on Taiwan, and without clear corporate mega-deals. Observers characterized the summit as focused on managing problems rather than solving underlying issues, emphasizing symbolism over deliverables.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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