When Two Elephants Meet: What Happens When America and China Sit Down?

This Insight by Dr. Tughral Yamin examines the September 2026 meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, focusing on its implications for global economic and strategic relations. It explores the extension of the US-China trade truce, persistent competition over technology, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and critical supply chains, as well as differences over Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. The analysis also considers possible trajectories, including managed competition, deeper economic cooperation, technological rivalry, and multipolar accommodation. Importantly, it highlights the implications for Pakistan and the wider world of whether US-China rivalry can evolve into managed coexistence.