In all the briefings he received before his departure for Beijing, did Donald Trump become aware of an important fact: it is the first time, in a Sino-American summit, that China considers itself equal to the United States? During Trump’s official visit to Beijing in 2017, during his first term, China was still officially “catching up”. That’s over, today it assumes itself as a superpower. Like the United States.
It is hoped that Donald Trump will have been informed of how Chinese leaders view the evolution of the United States and how they hammer it into their population through only authorized media: as a declining country.
The end of the absolute model For a long time, the United States were the absolute model for the Chinese. In the early 2000s, when I was a correspondent in Beijing, a Communist Party sociologist constantly referred to the United States. When I pointed out that it was not the only model of society, he laughingly said, “It’s true, you Europeans are the last true socialists”. Such a joke would not pass today: this professor would no longer say the same thing, neither about Americans, nor about Europeans.
The Chinese recognize American technological advances, and appreciate some of their consumer products, just look at the crowds in the Apple Stores of major Chinese cities. But they also see, not without reason, the mediocrity of American infrastructure compared to what China has managed to build in record time, high-speed trains, automation, robotization, electronic payments, etc.
But above all, they see images of a divided, violent, racist America, a sick democracy that no longer appeals to anyone, while the “goddess of democracy”, inspired by the Statue of Liberty, roamed Tiananmen Square during the Beijing Spring in 1989. And Donald Trump as an unstable and despised president, allowing Xi Jinping to present himself as a model of stability and respect, what an irony!
Donald Trump is in a bad position Trumpism serves as a propaganda argument for the Communist Party to tell its people that, despite China’s economic and social problems, they are lucky to have Xi Jinping. Unlike a cool Clinton, or a reassuring Bush father, who was an ambassador to Beijing, Trump inspires neither admiration nor fear.
Donald Trump is in a bad position vis-a-vis the Chinese government. He is bogged down in his failed war in Iran, and will ask Xi Jinping to push Iran to sign the agreement on the table – it comes at a price. He also failed in his pressure tactics last year when he imposed record tariffs on China, only to back down when Beijing imposed an embargo on rare earths.
The United States don’t know which way to turn with China. For ten years, they have tried to block its rise with severe technological sanctions, initiated by none other than Trump number 1. But China has been preparing for years for self-sufficiency, reducing its dependencies, and is not doing any worse. For example: electric cars, artificial intelligence, robots.
Donald Trump has a handicap that the Chinese have identified: they know he is hostile, but still attracted to the idea of an economic “deal” with this country of 1.4 billion people. Here again, Beijing has an advantage: the Chinese understand Americans much better than the reverse. This matters in a negotiation.
Context: This article discusses how China is now considering itself equal to the United States in Sino-American summits, marking a significant shift in power dynamics between the two countries. It also highlights how Donald Trump’s presidency is viewed in China, as well as the current state of relations between the US and China.
Fact Check: The content accurately reflects the evolving relationship between China and the United States, as well as the contrasting perceptions of American and Chinese societies. It also accurately portrays the challenges and opportunities in US-China relations under the Trump administration.
