Return to strategic rivalry: what Trump’s visit to China really means
фото: Reuters
US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing has marked a return to strategic confrontation between the US and China after a period of trade tensions. Despite negotiations and some economic agreements, the two sides have failed to resolve key differences in their bilateral relations.
This is reported by Reuters .
Journalists note that two-day talks between Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping yielded limited results, but showed that competition between Washington and Beijing remains.
It is worth adding that after last year’s trade war, the two countries have effectively returned to their usual economic and strategic rivalry. Among the main unresolved issues are China’s trade policy and its increasing military influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
“For the US, this means that the most troubling aspects of the relationship – from Beijing’s mercantilist policies to its military influence in the Indo-Pacific region – remain unresolved,” the journalists write.
During the meeting, Xi Jinping called the new model of relations between the countries “constructive strategic stability.” At the same time, experts believe that China has benefited from the softening of US trade policy.
“Compared to last year, when the duty was as high as 145%, we’ve returned to stability,” said expert Scott Kennedy.
According to journalists, the talks also did not lead to agreements on China’s assistance to the United States in ending the war in Iran.
Expert Craig Singleton said that the summit demonstrated stability in relations, but did not resolve strategic differences between the parties.
The White House stressed that Donald Trump used personal contacts with Xi Jinping to achieve specific economic results, in particular regarding the sale of Boeing aircraft and the conclusion of agricultural agreements. Analysts also noted that during the trade war last year, the US and China exchanged tariff restrictions, and Beijing threatened to restrict the supply of critical minerals.
“The summit showed that Washington and Beijing no longer seek to return relations to a golden era of cooperation, but recognize the long-term nature of competition,” said Cui Shoujun, a professor at Renmin University of Peking.
It is worth recalling that Xi Jinping and Donald Trump met in Beijing on May 15. After the talks, the Chinese side separately emphasized the need for diplomatic dialogue to resolve international conflicts.
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