US-China Summit: Trump Revives ‘G2’ Rhetoric Ahead of Talks on Trade, Taiwan
US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set to meet multiple times this year, beginning with a high-stakes summit in April. Trump has revived his “G2” rhetoric — a reference to the United States and China as the world’s two leading powers. In doing so, he has unsettled allies and raised questions about the future balance of power. With tariff tensions unresolved, export controls on advanced chips under review, and Taiwan arms sales under scrutiny, can leader-to-leader diplomacy deliver concrete results? Or will personal rapport introduce new unpredictability into US–China relations? In this episode, we examine the strategic stakes of the upcoming Trump–Xi meeting, the future of the tariff war and the implications for Japan, Taiwan and the evolving Indo-Pacific order. *Recorded on February 12, 2026 at 2pm Taiwan Standard Time Host: Wen-Ti Sung Producer: Chinyeh Chiang Our guests: William Vocke - Western Pacific Fellowship Project Executive Director Charles Wu - National Chengchi University Department of Diplomacy Professor and Chair
