China is over halfway to meeting its pledge to buy 25 million tons of US soybeans this year, but progress on a separate commitment to spend billions of dollars more on American crops has largely stalled.

The mixed signals ahead of this week's presidential summit in Washington underscore the fragility of a trade truce both sides have worked carefully to preserve. By Hallie Gu and Erin Ailworth, the report highlights how agriculture has proven to be an area where the US and China have found common ground.

This offers tangible incentives to help build a more stable relationship that's usually defined by economic and geopolitical rivalry. A soybean farm near Shelby, Mississippi illustrates the agricultural stakes involved.

The selective purchasing approach demonstrates China's strategic calibration of crop imports as both sides navigate competing pressures ahead of high-level talks.