Xi-Trump summit preview: what to watch for as investors brace for best and worst scenarios
Por He Huifeng — South China Morning Post – News feed
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Tariff cuts or a new 7.5 per cent duty on China? Possible outcomes on the cards as leaders navigate a trade truce and a widening tech schism
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He Huifeng in Guangdong Published: 8:30pm, 18 Sep 2026
President Xi Jinping is scheduled to sit down with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week, and their planned summit looks to be closely watched as an indicator of the current state of ties between the world’s two largest economies.
Economic issues appear poised to drive the agenda again, as they did when Trump travelled to Beijing in May with more than a dozen top American CEOs, including the heads of Tesla, Apple, Nvidia and Boeing. At stake are an extension of their current truce and further cuts on high tariffs, as well as deals that could see China buy more American goods.
Here is a breakdown of the outlook from the perspectives of global financial institutions and policy analysts.
What is the market consensus for the Xi-Trump summit results?
The bar for next week’s meeting, slated for Thursday, is relatively low, according to some research houses and research organisations.
The results of a recent Goldman Sachs investor survey showed that most respondents expected the meeting to be symbolic, though onshore Chinese investors were relatively constructive: 38 per cent expected incremental progress, compared with 26 per cent among offshore respondents.
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