Trump-Xi summit: Strategic engagements and the missing global challenges

International relations are built upon the foundations of geographical realities, national interests, strategic priorities, and power dynamics. The recent two-day summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing featured a high-profile business delegation spanning agriculture, aviation, electric vehicles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and semiconductor chips. Ironically, while the visit focused heavily on business agendas and strategic manoeuvres, it largely failed to interrogate the deeper human and environmental crises of the future, often described within the framework of the “Anthropocene.”

US President Trump’s visit to Beijing came in the aftermath of wide-ranging strikes against Iran beginning four months ago, aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz under US dominance. However, Iran remained an unresolved challenge for the United States, while the ceasefire continued to remain precariously fragile ahead of Trump’s China visit.