US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Saturday, September 19, 2026, according to FAZ. The German newspaper framed the encounter around a central question: whether the United States has actually decoupled from China.
That question remains open, based on the reporting FAZ assembled. The outlet's coverage points to a more complicated picture than a clean economic split between the two countries.
FAZ also highlighted a related trend: companies that left China in order to avoid US tariffs are now expressing disillusionment with that decision, according to Vietnam.vn. Some of those firms are choosing to return, MarketScreener Schweiz reports.
The pattern suggests that moving supply chains out of China has proven harder and less rewarding than many businesses expected. Tariffs created pressure to relocate, but the alternatives have not always delivered the promised benefits.
Meanwhile, FAZ reports that tech companies in Southeast Asia are choosing to remain in the region rather than shift operations elsewhere. That adds another layer to the decoupling debate, since Southeast Asia has been a common destination for firms seeking to reduce their reliance on Chinese manufacturing.
Taken together, the reporting indicates that the economic relationship between Washington and Beijing is being reshaped rather than simply severed. Companies are weighing tariff costs against the practical difficulties of rebuilding supply chains in new locations, and many are finding the trade-offs unfavorable.
What to watch next: whether the Trump-Xi meeting produces any concrete policy changes on tariffs or trade, and whether more companies follow through on returning to China.