Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Busan, the Republic of Korea, on Thursday for discussions on bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern. CGTN spoke with Wu Xinbo, director of Fudan University's Center for American Studies, who shared his insights on the symbolic meaning of the meeting, the messages both sides aimed to send, and what it could mean for the future trajectory of China-U.S. ties.

Q1: This face-to-face meeting between the Chinese and U.S. leaders is their first in six years – and also their first in-person dialogue since Donald Trump's re-election. From the perspective of returning to in-person diplomacy, what symbolic significance does this meeting hold? Does it suggest that bilateral ties have entered a new phase of high-level recovery?

Wu: I would describe this as a restart of head-of-state diplomacy between China and the United States. But it's not just a simple restart. With Trump's return (to the White House) and his renewed meeting with Xi, he seems to have developed a new understanding of China's strength and determination.

The last time they met, Trump joked that while he enjoyed meeting Xi, Xi sometimes could be a tough negotiator – and I think that reflected his genuine impression. As we Chinese like to say, "You don't truly know each other until you've crossed swords." Trump now recognizes China's capability and willpower more clearly than before.

Overall, compared with their last meeting six years ago, China is now in a stronger and more favorable position.

Q2: Xi emphasized that China and the U.S. should be partners and friends, and that the two leaders should stay on the right course, navigate through the complex landscape and ensure the steady sailing forward of the giant ship of China-U.S. relations. Trump also said the relationship has always been good and will only get better, calling China America's biggest partner and noting that the two countries can achieve great things together. What message do you think both sides are trying to send to the international community?

Wu: I think the key message from the Chinese side is that China-U.S. relations must be properly defined. The U.S. should not view China as a threat or an adversary, but rather as a partner – the direction and positioning of the relationship must not be mistaken. It also says that both sides should focus on maintaining stability when handling bilateral issues – since the relationship is like a big ship, stability is vital.

As for Trump, I think what he's trying to convey is that the U.S. still hopes to cooperate with China. Essentially, he's signaling a willingness to strengthen cooperation between the two sides.

Q3: Xi said the business relationship between the two countries should continue to serve as the anchor and driving force for China-U.S. relations, not a stumbling block or a point of friction. What's the deeper meaning behind this phrasing? How might this message influence the underlying logic of future bilateral economic interactions?

Wu: The emphasis here is on mutual benefit and cooperation. China is saying that both sides should focus on expanding the economic pie together, not weaponizing trade to target or humiliate each other.

Xi's message is that China wants win-win cooperation and a bigger, shared economic pie – not to use trade as a tool of coercion or insult.

Q4: After the meeting, Trump said the two sides had achieved a lot of progress on trade and economic issues. What concrete signals do you think his remarks send about the future of China-U.S. economic relations?

Wu: It suggests that both sides are now willing to resolve trade and economic issues through negotiation and consultation rather than confrontation.

In other words, the U.S. may increasingly prefer dialogue and negotiation when managing economic relations with China – instead of pressure and coercion. I think Trump has gained a deeper understanding of this point.

Q5: Previous rounds of high-level China-U.S. talks have tended to start with enthusiasm but cool off over time. Do you think this meeting and the two leaders' remarks could break that cycle? If so, what would be the key conditions or variables?

Wu: I think we could see a period of relative stability in China-U.S. economic relations, as both sides strengthen management of sensitive issues and continue addressing mutual concerns.

Earlier this year, China already showed some of its strong cards – what we call our "Trump cards" – such as the export controls on rare earths. These moves have proven very effective. For instance, we played that card once in April and again in October. And China still has other powerful options in reserve.

This means that if the U.S. wants to provoke China again, it will have to think twice. It can't act rashly. So, I would say the biggest variable is China's resolve and readiness to stand its ground – that's what really matters.