Asia on Edge as Beijing Summit Rekindles Xi-Trump ‘Frenemies’ Relationship
Key takeaways
- Countries around the region have been trying to gauge how a thaw between the two economic superpowers could affect them—both in terms of destabilizing the regional balance of power and in terms of trade.
- South Carolina Senator Introduces Bill to Bolster Domestic Textile Industry
- Freight Rates Spike Double Digits as China Scrutinizes Ocean Carriers
Asia on Edge as Beijing Summit Rekindles Xi-Trump ‘Frenemies’ Relationship Sourcing Journal · Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images Mayu Saini Mon, May 18, 2026 at 8:00 PM GMT+7 7 min read Even as the high stakes meeting in Beijing concluded on Friday, and President Donald Trump boarded Air Force One having established a veneer of friendship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, describing it as an “incredible visit” in which “a lot of different problems” had been settled, business heads and economists across Asia were watching with some unease.
Countries around the region have been trying to gauge how a thaw between the two economic superpowers could affect them—both in terms of destabilizing the regional balance of power and in terms of trade. Given an already fragile global situation, with the Middle East war affecting energy and gas prices, Asian nations worry that unpredictable shifts in the U.S.-China trade war or sudden tariffs could trigger another regional economic downturn.
South Carolina Senator Introduces Bill to Bolster Domestic Textile Industry