Cover Story: Beijing Summit Signals a Reset in U.S.-China Relations

In the golden midday light of early summer on May 14, Chinese President Xi Jinping and visiting U.S. President Donald Trump stood shoulder to shoulder before the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven, capturing a moment laden with historical symbolism.

The carefully staged meeting marked the 13th visit by a sitting U.S. president to China since Richard Nixon’s landmark trip in 1972, and Trump’s second visit as president. Against a backdrop of intensifying global turbulence — including a prolonged trade war and mounting geopolitical tensions — the summit underscored the strategic weight of the U.S.-China relationship.