Trump and Xi hold talks but no trade deal agreed

Trump and Xi hold talks but no trade deal agreedJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSuranjana TewariAsia business correspondentGetty ImagesIt was a day heavy with symbolism in Beijing, marked by choreographed ceremonies and carefully staged optics, but there was no sweeping trade breakthrough or major business agreements.US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday for more than two hours of talks, describing the US-China relationship as "the world's most consequential economic relationship".The White House described the meeting as "highly productive". Trump, speaking at the Great Hall of the People, called it potentially "the biggest summit ever".President Xi said previous trade negotiations between the two countries in South Korea had delivered "progress", according to China's foreign ministry, but he paired that with a stark warning on Taiwan, saying: "If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict."Tech and tradeThis was a visit where optics have mattered as much as outcomes, with one of the most closely watched moments coming as Air Force One touched down in Beijing.Elon Musk stepped off the presidential aircraft ahead of senior cabinet officials including Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer - on a trip that was always going to be defined by trade.Musk and Nvidia chief Jensen Huang also remained close to Trump during the welcome ceremony.The symbolism was hard to miss. Musk and Huang represent some of the most sensitive pressure points in the US-China economic relationship: electric vehicles, artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor microchips.Both are also exposed to China. Tesla depends heavily on its Shanghai gigafactory and Chinese consumers, while Nvidia's chips sit at the centre of the global AI race and US export controls designed to limit China's access to advanced computing.Huang's p...