Why China is playing it cool amid Trump’s disruption and churn
When the presidents of the United States and China meet in Washington, the world will be watching to see whether their two countries can make good on their agreement to work towards “constructive strategic stability”. In the first part of a series, Mark Magnier looks at expectations in the US for the summit. Chinese planners have been frustrated for months at the slow speed of decision-making and…
China is maintaining its cool demeanor amid the disruption and turmoil caused by President Trump's administration, according to various sources. The upcoming summit between the presidents of the United States and China, set to take place in Washington, is being watched closely to see if the two nations can achieve "constructive strategic stability."
However, Chinese planners have faced frustrations due to the slow pace of decision-making and limited engagement by the US administration. Former US officials and analysts suggest that the Chinese are not thrilled about the lack of progress, but they are not overly concerned either, as their expectations for the visit are very low.
This reduced expectation is partly due to President Trump's disdain for planning and his preference for "gut" decisions over meticulously prepared agreements. Both leaders have their own goals in mind for the summit. President Trump hopes to showcase his power, host a strong leader he admires, and enjoy the pomp and circumstance of hosting a foreign dignitary.
On the other hand, President Xi aims to highlight China's growing influence, showcase the country's ability to manage tensions with the US, and demonstrate China's growing clout. The summit format is expected to mirror Trump's previous trip to Beijing, lasting no more than 48 hours with no additional stops. The main focus will likely be on the 30-for-30 tariff reduction framework, which seeks to reduce tariffs by $30 billion for each side.
However, China is more interested in exporting higher-value goods, rather than simply complying with the tariff reduction framework. On the diplomatic front, China has offered over a dozen non-economic issues for discussion, but the US administration has largely dismissed them, focusing instead on three potential meetings: a possible November Xi-Trump meeting at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, a possible December G20 meeting in Florida, and China's help in pressuring Iran.
Analysts believe that while there may not be significant breakthroughs, there won't be a breakdown either.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
