CGTN: Why is the world watching the upcoming China-US summit?
BEIJING, May 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump will pay a state visit to China from May 13 to 15, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.
At a time of prolonged geopolitical tensions and fragile global recovery, the world is closely watching whether the two leaders can further stabilize China-US relations and inject much-needed certainty into the international landscape.
Keeping China-US relations on the right course
For many observers, the summit reflects one core hope: stability in bilateral ties.
Interviews conducted by CGTN show a common view among experts that head-of-state diplomacy has long served as the "anchor" of that stability.
As Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, put it, such head-of-state diplomacy "sets the tone and defines the direction" of bilateral ties.
Christopher Newport University's Associate Professor Sun Taiyi similarly noted that direct leader-to-leader communication helps reduce uncertainty, prevent miscalculation and signal that stability remains the overriding priority.
Over the past year, the two leaders have maintained communication through phone calls and a face-to-face meeting in Busan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), helping prevent major miscalculations and keeping the overall relationship stable.
As Xi told Trump in Busan, "In the face of winds, waves and challenges, we should stay the right course, navigate through the complex landscape, and ensure the steady sailing forward of the giant ship of China-US relations."
That metaphor of "steering the ship" has been reflected in concrete progress.
Since 2025, under the strategic consensus reached by the two heads of state, economic teams from both sides have held multiple rounds of talks, while large-scale tariff escalation has been paused. A new round of consultations is set to take place in the ROK from May 12 to 13, just ahead of the Beijing summit.
People-to-people exchanges have also regained momentum. In April, Beijing hosted events marking the 55th anniversary of China-US "Ping-Pong Diplomacy," with hundreds of young Chinese and Americans taking part in sports and cultural exchanges. More US youth groups have also traveled to China for exchange and study programs.
Bringing certainty to a changing world
As the world's two largest economies, and with China-US relations standing as one of the most important bilateral ties globally, outcomes of head-of-state diplomacy between the two countries not only help stabilize bilateral relations, but also have a broader impact on global development and governance.
As Peterson Institute Senior Fellow Chad Bown noted, "virtually everyone has a stake in the outcome." Cornell University economist Eswar Prasad went further, suggesting the meeting could carry implications for global trade, geopolitics and even the "rules-based order."
CGTN interviews with experts highlight the similar points.
Zhang Tengjun, associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, said deeper cooperation could inject momentum into global recovery and stabilize industrial and supply chains, stressing that the trajectory of bilateral ties is closely tied to the world's future.
On this point, scholar Sun said that stable relations reduce risks of supply chain disruption, financial volatility and geopolitical fragmentation.
Dean Wu noted that as the world's two major technological powers, China and the United States have the capacity to generate "win-win outcomes" through practical cooperation, supporting broader global growth and scientific progress.
Likewise, Cui Fan, vice dean of the University of International Business and Economics, emphasized that both countries share responsibility for the stability of global governance.
Xi underlined this responsibility in Busan as well: "The world today is confronted with many tough problems. China and the United States can jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries, and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of our two countries and the whole world."
This year provides a window for that responsibility to be tested, with China hosting APEC and the United States hosting the G20 Leaders' Summit – two platforms that could open space for coordination on global recovery, food and energy security, debt risks, and governance reform.
In a February phone call with Trump, Xi set out a pragmatic path forward: "If the two sides work in the same direction in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit, we can surely find ways to address each other's concerns."
The world will watch the upcoming summit to see how Beijing and Washington can translate into action Xi's call to "make progress step by step to build mutual trust, find the right way to get along, and make 2026 a year where the two major countries advance toward mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation."
Contact: CGTN Digital cgtn@cgtn.com
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