President Donald Trump said on the second day of the U.S.-China summit in Argentina that “a lot of problems were settled” during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, while signaling a rare area of alignment between the two leaders: their shared desire to see an end to the escalating tensions with Iran.
The remarks, delivered during a joint press conference in Buenos Aires, marked the first time Trump publicly acknowledged progress in bilateral negotiations while also framing the Iran issue as a point of convergence between Washington and Beijing. “We have a lot of problems, but we settled a lot of problems,” Trump stated, though he did not specify which issues had been resolved. Xi, standing beside him, offered no immediate response but later reiterated China’s long-standing position that regional conflicts should be addressed through dialogue.
The summit, held on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ meeting, came as U.S. Officials had already signaled a shift in Trump’s approach to China, moving away from the confrontational rhetoric of earlier trade talks toward a more pragmatic engagement. Sources familiar with the discussions said the two leaders had spent hours in private meetings, with trade, North Korea, and Iran dominating the agenda. While no formal agreements were announced, officials from both sides described the tone as “constructive,” with Trump emphasizing that the relationship remained “very strong.”
On Iran, Trump’s comments represented a departure from his administration’s previous stance, which had framed Tehran’s nuclear program and regional provocations as an existential threat requiring maximum pressure. In recent weeks, U.S. Officials had warned of potential military action if diplomatic efforts failed, while China had maintained its opposition to unilateral sanctions and coercive measures. Trump’s acknowledgment of shared ground with Xi—despite the absence of a joint statement—suggested a tacit understanding that neither country wants a broader conflict in the Gulf.
Yet the alignment remained fragile. While Trump praised the “very good” relationship with Xi, he reiterated his administration’s demands for structural changes in China’s trade practices, including reductions in tariffs and intellectual property protections. “We’re going to be talking about those things,” he said, adding that the U.S. Would not “back down” on its economic priorities. Chinese officials, meanwhile, had already signaled resistance to any concessions on core industries, framing trade as a two-way street.
The summit’s outcome left key questions unanswered. The White House had previously indicated that a formal trade deal could take months, and no timeline was provided in Buenos Aires. On Iran, while Trump’s remarks suggested a willingness to coordinate with Beijing, there was no indication that China would alter its stance on sanctions or military intervention. The next major test for the relationship will come at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Papua New Guinea in November, where trade and security issues are again expected to dominate discussions.
