EST Rapid Roundup: Unpacking the Trump-Xi Summit Pt.2 - Tech Competition

Why It Matters

The summit underscored that U.S.-China technology rivalry is deepening across commercial and security domains, raising risks for supply-chain fragmentation, contested standards, and infrastructure vulnerability while making negotiated rollbacks or concessions increasingly unlikely. Continued bilateral engagement will matter mainly for crisis management and targeted cooperation, not a rapid restoration of preexisting tech ties.

Summary

At the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, high-profile U.S. CEOs accompanied President Trump but produced few concrete technology agreements; the official readouts were sparse while underlying U.S.-China competition on AI, semiconductors, and cyber persisted. CSIS experts said expectations were low—China did not concede on export controls or AI transfers—and characterized the meeting as primarily a political connection-building exercise with potential follow-ups in intersessional talks and a planned September summit. Panelists noted China’s growing leadership in sectors like renewables, batteries and parts of life sciences, complicating U.S. leverage and negotiation dynamics. Cybersecurity emerged as a focal concern, with U.S. analysts warning about persistent PRC-linked threats (e.g., Volt Typhoon) that maintain footholds in critical infrastructure.

Original Description

Following the recent Trump-Xi summit, major questions remain about the future of U.S.-China tech competition. Join CSIS Economic Security and Technology Department's Navin Girishankar, Aalok Mehta, Lauryn Williams, and James Lewis on Wednesday, May 20 from 10:00am-10:30am to unpack what both sides expected, the implications of China's growing role as a global innovation hub, cybersecurity stakes, what AI guardrails — if any — are on the table, and what complications China's coordination with Iran poses for negotiations moving forward.

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

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