On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, U.S. President Trump welcomed his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, at an airbase near Washington, D.C., marking the start of a three-day official visit by the Chinese leader.

To begin with, China was one of the world’s poorest nations in the 1970s; it has since transformed into the world's second-largest economy, becoming what is often called the “factory of the world.” This transformation was no accident; rather, it was the result of a long-term vision, a well-conceived plan, and strategic patience. This trajectory began when Deng Xiaoping assumed leadership of the Chinese Communist Party in 1978, prioritizing the economy over ideology. He established an economic model based on low wages and high export volumes, opened the door to foreign investors, and created Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in eastern Chinese cities in 1979. By 2010, China had emerged as the world’s second-strongest economy.

Militarily, China is actively converting its economic might into military power, steadily increasing its military spending year after year. China announced plans to raise its 2025 national defense budget by 7.2%—marking the tenth consecutive year of single-digit growth in defense spending—with the country's planned defense expenditure reaching 1.784665 trillion yuan (approximately US$249 billion) for the year. At the same time, the Chinese military’s conventional and nuclear capabilities are also evolving; a U.S. Department of Defense report submitted to Congress on Wednesday indicated that, as of mid-2024, China possessed over 600 nuclear warheads—a figure projected to exceed 1,000 by 2030—and the country showcased its advanced weaponry during a military parade on September 3, 2025.

Consequently, the China of today is not the China of the 1970s or earlier, and negotiations with it will not follow the old patterns. The United States now faces a formidable military power that cannot be underestimated and an economic giant that commands serious consideration—a reality clearly reflected in the approach of U.S. administrations, particularly that of Trump. In a response to a question issued by the Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir, the eminent ‘alim Ata Bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah—titled “China and Its Liberation from Its Limited Regional Perspective” (dated November 22, 2025)—it is stated, “The U.S., acting as the world’s policeman, and according to its Asian strategy, sought to prevent China’s rise and contain it; sometimes by transferring troops and equipment from Europe to the Pacific, sometimes by exploiting the Taiwan crisis, sometimes using India, sometimes establishing military alliances with regional countries such as AUKUS (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.) and QUAD (U.S., Australia, India, Japan), and sometimes waging trade wars on Chinese companies like Huawei. After the fall of the Soviet Union, America placed Islam as an ideological enemy and China as a state enemy at the top of its list of adversaries. While the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan delayed and slowed its confrontation with China, after these wars, its full focus shifted to China, especially trade wars.”

Now, regarding the topics under discussion and negotiation: can this summit succeed as Trump claims?

Trump’s statements—as reported by the media—claiming that he and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, made “tremendous progress” during the Chinese president’s state visit to Washington (while both sides revealed discussions regarding a war on Iran and the possibility of two further meetings before year's end, according to the BBC) reflect significant misinformation and genuine anxieties rather than sincere statements. This is due to several considerations:

•   The election issue: Trump’s attempt to convince the American public—particularly farmers—that tangible progress was made during the meeting.

•   Political and economic crises: The crisis surrounding the conflict with Iran and its associated political repercussions and adverse effects on the global and US economies, not to mention rising oil prices within the United States.

•   Foreign and domestic pressures: His crisis within the Republican Party and the political division in the US; consequently, the US continues to surround China with adversaries, urging them to lift restrictions and increase military spending, while also demanding that European nations increase their NATO contributions.

As for the topics on the table, they are numerous and warrant individual examination. Regarding artificial intelligence (AI), for instance, there appears to be little prospect of a genuine commitment, despite statements from Xi—who noted that Washington and Beijing share a responsibility to develop and manage AI for the public good, stating, “We possess both the capacity and the responsibility to develop and manage AI in a way that serves the public interest and ensures its development remains under human oversight.”

Indeed, media outlets have cited The New York Times as reporting that Trump showed little concern for the risks or the regulation of this new technology; his sole focus was on America triumphing over China in the field of AI, regardless of safety standards. It was noted that, realistically, no single meeting is likely to yield significant progress on the most sensitive issues; however, the United States and China are not merely rivals vying for global influence—they also share common interests in global stability.

Regarding Rare Earth Elements (REEs), China recognizes their importance and strategic significance, having used them as a weapon against the U.S. to extract concessions in their trade war—albeit as a retaliatory measure. Cullen S. Hendrix, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Alhurra that China realized it could leverage export restrictions on these materials to disrupt the industrial and defense supply chains of its rivals. Ryan Hass, now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, stated that if China were to cut off the supply of these minerals to the U.S., the economic repercussions would be far-reaching.

A further indication of the meeting’s limited success is the lack of confidence regarding the reliability of exports; U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that the U.S. must continue to pressure China to ensure its adherence to relevant agreements regarding critical minerals, after US officials stated that Chinese supplies had fallen short of the required levels. Another indication of the meeting's limited success is the extension of the trade truce by only two months; US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Wednesday that the US and China had agreed to extend their trade truce by two months—moving the expiration date from November 10 to January 10, 2027—according to Reuters. I conclude my article with the same words used to conclude the answer to the aforementioned question:

“Finally, whether these countries are America, China, or both, they compete in this world with no good but only evil surrounding them and their followers, and a false civilization whose people have not succeeded. What appears today as their elevation on earth is due to the absence of a state that spreads goodness globally, suppressing their evils and destroying their structures. That state will return, by Allah’s permission: the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly Guided Caliphate), which will remove them as it removed their predecessors—the Persians and Romans. The Islamic Ummah is a living, active nation, moving swiftly to its original path granted by Allah,

[كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ]

‘You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah’ [TMQ Aal-i Imran:110].

Indeed, within the Ummah is a party loyal to Allah, truthful to His Messenger (saw), maintaining the path, day and night, until Allah’s promise and His Messenger’s good tidings are realized through them, fearing no reproach in Allah. Their resolve will not falter, and their determination will not weaken, until Allah’s promise is fulfilled through them, and the Khilafah Rashidah returns, opening Rome by the hands of Muslims as Constantinople was opened. Ahmad narrated in his Musnad on the authority of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, who said: While we were around the Messenger of Allah (saw) writing, he was asked: ‘Which of the two cities will be conquered first: Constantinople or Rome?’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: «مَدِينَةُ هِرَقْلَ تُفْتَحُ أَوَّلاً يَعْنِي قُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةَ» ‘The city of Heraclius will be conquered first, meaning Constantinople.’”