Donald Trump is expected in Beijing on Wednesday to meet his “good friend” Xi Jinping, and has assured that his visit will be fruitful despite their disagreements on the Middle East war, trade, and Taiwan.
The American president does not want the war against Iran, a trade and diplomatic partner of China, to spoil the lavish reception that his Chinese counterpart will offer him on Thursday and Friday.
“We will have a long conversation about Iran,” Donald Trump told journalists at the White House on Tuesday.
Before stating the opposite a few minutes later: “We have many things to discuss. And I would not say that Iran is one of them.”
The Republican leader, caught in a much longer and more complex conflict than he anticipated, assured that he did not “need help with Iran” in any case.
– “Good things” –
Judging that China, the top buyer of Iranian oil, had not caused any “problems” in the face of the US blockade of Iranian ports, Donald Trump said regarding his Chinese counterpart: “He is someone we get along with well. And I think you will see good things happen.”
This is the first visit to China by an American president since he made one himself in 2017.
Behind Donald Trump’s optimism, the two leading global powers continue to engage in fierce competition, whether military, diplomatic, technological, or economic.
“The summit will look polite on the surface, but tactically, it will be a rugby match during which each side will try to gain the upper hand,” predicts Melanie Hart, a China specialist at the Atlantic Council.
US arms sales to Taiwan, China’s control of rare earth exports, and tariffs are all points of friction.
– Tesla and Boeing –
Economic relations between Beijing and Washington remain tense, despite a one-year trade truce agreed upon during the last meeting of the two presidents in South Korea in October.
President Trump hopes to secure major contracts and investment promises in front of China, which has a significant trade surplus with the United States.
He is accompanied by a significant delegation of American business leaders, including Elon Musk (Tesla), Tim Cook (Apple), and Kelly Ortberg (Boeing).
The summit comes at a difficult time for Donald Trump, facing dismal polls and inflation in the US fueled by the war against Iran.
The meeting is also taking place at an uncertain time for the Chinese economy, which is struggling with weak domestic consumption and persistent real estate debt crisis.
The US-triggered war with Iran, which began on February 28, led Donald Trump to postpone his trip once.
This conflict, and Iran’s blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, further complicates the relationship between Washington and Beijing.
– Arms sales to Taiwan –
Seeking a quick resolution to the war, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi asked Pakistan on Tuesday, during a call with his counterpart Ishaq Dar, to “intensify its mediation efforts” between Americans and Iranians, according to his office.
He also asked Islamabad to “contribute to addressing appropriately the issues related to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz,” whose blockade restricts China’s energy and goods supplies.
Donald Trump sought to end China’s purchases of Iranian oil by imposing various sanctions, condemned by Beijing, but without it leading to an open diplomatic crisis so far.
Another major point of contention for Chinese officials is the military support provided to Taiwan by the United States.
Donald Trump was ready to address this thorny issue with Xi Jinping.
China sees Taiwan as one of its provinces. It advocates for a peaceful solution but reserves the right to use force for “reunification.”
Published on May 13 at 04:34, AFP
