President Trump in China: Deal or no deal? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 15, 2026 · 11 MIN

President Trump in China: Deal or no deal?

from What in the World · host BBC World Service

For the last few days, international headlines have been dominated by stories about Donald Trump's visit to China, to meet Xi Jinping. The trip featured marching bands, red carpets, photocalls, big smiles and many, many handshakes. Now that President Trump has left the country, we ask what actually happened below the surface level. Was it all just superficial pageantry or did the leaders of the world’s two largest economies make any real agreements or deals?People expected talks on trade deals, the war in Iran and Taiwan. President Trump didn't travel alone; he was joined by some of the biggest heavyweights in American technology and business. Tesla and Space X boss, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, the head of Apple and David Solomon, from the bank Goldman Sachs to name a few.So, what, if anything, actually came out of this trip? And what is the US-China relationship really like? We hear from BBC reporters covering the visit and find out how people in China are reacting to President Trump and his visit.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Chelsea Coates and Emma-Louise Amanshia Editor: Verity Wilde

For the last few days, international headlines have been dominated by stories about Donald Trump's visit to China, to meet Xi Jinping. The trip featured marching bands, red carpets, photocalls, big smiles and many, many handshakes. Now that President Trump has left the country, we ask what actually happened below the surface level. Was it all just superficial pageantry or did the leaders of the world’s two largest economies make any real agreements or deals?People expected talks on trade deals, the war in Iran and Taiwan. President Trump didn't travel alone; he was joined by some of the biggest heavyweights in American technology and business. Tesla and Space X boss, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, the head of Apple and David Solomon, from the bank Goldman Sachs to name a few.So, what, if anything, actually came out of this trip? And what is the US-China relationship really like? We hear from BBC reporters covering the visit and find out how people in China are reacting to President Trump and his visit.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Chelsea Coates and Emma-Louise Amanshia Editor: Verity Wilde

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President Trump in China: Deal or no deal?

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This episode was published on May 15, 2026.

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For the last few days, international headlines have been dominated by stories about Donald Trump's visit to China, to meet Xi Jinping. The trip featured marching bands, red carpets, photocalls, big smiles and many, many handshakes. Now that...

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