![]() ![]() So far, few details of the summit’s agenda have been released. And if they do that will be very good for China, and if they don’t it won’t be good for anyone.”Īdd to the mix the issue of the South China Sea, where China has built and armed man-made islands despite the concerns of neighbouring countries and Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy that China claims as its own territory, and that some in Trump’s administration would like to build a stronger relationship with.ĭespite such divisions, Beijing seems committed to establishing a positive relationship between the two leaders.Ĭhina, Xiong said, realizes that Trump “is a leader with a strong personality.” “And China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won’t. “China has great influence over North Korea,” Trump said. is prepared to act alone if China does not take a tougher stand against North Korea’s nuclear program. Meanwhile, China continues to oppose the tough measures demanded of it to address former close ally North Korea, fearing a collapse of the Pyongyang regime would bring a crush of refugees and possibly U.S. ![]() “So the stage is set for a battle royal,” Dreyer said. She added, however, that slowing economic growth in China could limit Xi’s options for negotiating on trade. Trump’s comments on trade and other issues “portend some hard bargaining,” Dreyer said. Having suffered a major blow with the failure of health care reform, Trump will be seeking to claim some kind of victory in his encounter with Xi, said June Teufel Dreyer, professor of political science at the University of Miami. Still, Trump told the Financial Times newspaper that during his meeting with Xi, he doesn’t “want to talk about tariffs yet, perhaps the next time we meet.” While aides insisted the timing was coincidental, the administration touted the moves as evidence of it taking an aggressive but analytical approach to closing a trade gap that is largely due to the influx of goods from China. Coupled together, the orders appeared to be a symbolic shot at China, which accounted for the vast bulk — $347 billion — of last year’s $502 billion trade deficit. Trump was seen as moving trade even more to the forefront when he signed a pair of executive orders Friday focused on reducing the trade deficit. president valuing unpredictability and seeking advantage for his agenda going forward,” Sutter said. Yet even if Xi is able to offer Trump deliverables, he will still have to deal with “a restless U.S. “Xi probably can’t accommodate Trump on sovereignty and security issues, but he has a lot of leeway on economics,” said Robert Sutter, a China expert at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Some analysts believe Xi might be willing to hand Trump a symbolic victory on trade to put a positive spin on the meeting. Both during his campaign and after his victory, Trump complained repeatedly over China’s allegedly unfair trade practices, its perceived lack of assistance in reining in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and its drive to cement control over the South China Sea. Like many nations, China is still grappling with Trump’s mercurial nature after the relative transparency and predictability of the bilateral relationship under Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama. economy, especially manufacturing jobs.Ĭhina, for its part, has remained largely sanguine about the event, with Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang telling reporters that “both sides look forward to a successful meeting so that a correct direction can be set for the growth of bilateral relations.” Trump, however tweeted last week that he expects “a very difficult” meeting, and on Friday said: “We’re going to get down to some very serious business,” referencing what he believes is China’s negative impact on the U.S. Some view the informal venue of the summit Thursday and Friday — Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida — as a sign that neither side anticipates important outcomes. BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping probably won’t give President Donald Trump a round of golf during their first face-to-face meeting this week, but he may find it worthwhile to ensure his American counterpart does not feel like he’s leaving empty-handed. ![]()
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