China Wants Trump to Roll Out the Red Carpet—and Roll Over
China wants to run relations with the U.S. in a leader-to-leader system, in the same way it already does with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
China's President Xi Jinping is set to arrive in the United States for a state visit next month, and the Chinese leader will be looking for the perfect reception and protocol. Chinese officials are employing a "summitry" management strategy, nudging President Donald Trump to bypass normal channels and engage in top-down leadership.
This approach allows China to sidestep difficult questions from U.S. officials, as China has been known to do in the past with Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission members visiting China recently noted that Beijing's tactics include pushing for "summitry" to avoid hard questions on issues such as trade, technology, sanctions, and military tensions in Asia.
China's pursuit of "summitry" is a way to manage its most important foreign relationship while continuing its policies, even if those policies are seen as "malign." The commissioners' interviews with Chinese officials suggested that China wants to isolate its regional allies, such as Japan and the Philippines, and avoid discussing specifics in favor of using "summitry" as a talking point.
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