MAP Partner Sarah Beran on US-China Summit Preview
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The upcoming Trump-Xi meeting will be closely watched for signs of stabilization in an otherwise strained US-China relationship. The two leaders are expected to discuss Iran, bilateral issues, and Taiwan. This year, both sides are distancing themselves from talk of a grand bargain and instead seeking to use the meeting to manage downside risk, with the two leaders announcing a modest set of deliverables. The formal launch of the Board of Trade, a mechanism to encourage trade in non-sensitive sectors, should provide corporates a venue to address trade irritants.
The primary value of the meeting lies in optics and short‑term risk management rather than substantive breakthroughs. While Washington and Beijing both have incentives to project control and predictability, expectations should remain carefully calibrated. Experience suggests that periods of summit-driven stabilization tend to be short‑lived.
MAP Partner Sarah Beran spoke to the Economist about her experience leading the high stakes negotiations ahead of presidential summits with China, from President Trump’s 2017 visit with a CEO delegation to President Biden’s 2023 and 2024 meetings with President Xi.
Listen on The Economist here.
