The summit won’t break the US-China stalemate
Beneath the diplomatic surface, the two sides are radically at odds over just about everything.
Mao Zedong's 1938 essay identifies three stages of conflict: strategic defense, stalemate, and counter-offensive. As US-China relations stall ahead of this week's Washington summit, they sit in the stagnant phase, locked in disagreement over trade, technology, Taiwan, and more. The volatile interactions between US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping may cause the stalemate to erupt again.
Trump's personal approach to Xi, who is expected to receive an honor normally afforded to close allies, adds uncertainty to the proceedings. Nevertheless, China's priorities and Xi's focus on preserving his party's rule make a breakthrough unlikely. The summit may only result in a formal greeting and a continuation of the deadlock, as the most contentious issues remain unresolved.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
