Trump, Xi wrap state visit centered on spectacle over substance. Here are the top takeaways

Chinese leader Xi Jinping ended his first formal trip to Washington in 11 years Friday, capping a highly anticipated state visit with President Donald Trump that saw three days of bonhomie and pageantry but delivered few concrete agreements.Trump gave Xi a rare airport tarmac greeting, the two leaders enjoyed a splashy state dinner and tea with their spouses and visited the National Archives. In between ceremonial elements, Trump and Xi inked an extension to an existing trade pact, and Xi promised to send a pair of pandas to Atlanta. What didn't happen were promises of purchases or agreement on addressing artificial intelligence risks, the war in Iran or taking steps toward resolving other vexing world challenges.A state visit that featured much pomp but little change in circumstances might have been intentional."Ahead of the midterms, President Trump's interest is to keep things calm," Scott Kennedy, a Center for Strategic and International Studies senior advisor who studies the Chinese economy. "We have interest rates getting to record highs, and he doesn't want to make markets even more skittish."For those watching from afar in China, the mood was upbeat."I think it's a great su...