© EPA/ MAXIM SHEMETOV / POOL The leaders of the US and China will address a diverse array of subjects.
Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, conveyed to US President Donald Trump that the US and China ought to be “collaborators, not adversaries,” while the head of the White House expressed that the bond between the two nations would be “superior to any time before.” This occurred as the two nations’ leaders initiated a summit in Beijing on Thursday, May 14, according to the FT.
Upon commencing discussions at the meeting table, which will center on the US and Israel’s conflict with Iran, Taiwan, commerce, and prospects for US enterprises, Xi suggested that the US and China should “forge a novel framework for relations between significant countries.”
“These two nations should act as allies, not competitors. We must assist each other in achieving success and identify the optimal strategy for major countries to coexist,” Xi remarked.
During his initial words, Trump lauded the “remarkable relationship” between the two nations and referred to Xi as a “distinguished leader,” while also commending the contingent of US business executives accompanying the US president to Beijing.
“We possess the finest business minds globally. And they are present today to extend their respects to you, China,” Trump included.
Broadcasted material portrayed the meeting’s commencement, featuring Xi descending the red-carpeted steps of the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square to encounter Trump, who arrived via a presidential motorcade comprising black vehicles accompanied by Chinese law enforcement.
Trump acknowledged officials accompanying Xi, notably Cai Qi, the Chinese leader’s trusted advisor and a member of the prominent Politburo Standing Committee, alongside Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
Xi subsequently greeted members of Trump’s delegation, encompassing U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Chief executives of prominent US corporations, such as Tim Cook from Apple, Jensen Huang from Nvidia, Elon Musk from Tesla, and Jane Fraser from Citigroup, were present alongside Trump alongside American officials.
Potential for dispute over Taiwan
Xi communicated that the US and China might engage in conflict if the Taiwan matter is mismanaged, as per The Guardian.
“The Taiwan situation holds utmost significance in Sino-US relations. If this situation is addressed inappropriately, the two nations may face a confrontation or enter into conflict, thereby jeopardizing the entirety of the Sino-US relationship,” Xi expressed.
Avoiding the “Thucydides Trap”
Xi further stated that China and the United States ought to circumvent the “Thucydides trap.” The Chinese leader invoked the designation of the ancient Greek historian to articulate the aspiration that the United States and China can avert conflict, underscoring that the world is observing whether the two nations can devise a fresh paradigm for major-power relations.
Xi originated the expression “Thucydides’ trap,” a widespread notion in international policy research. The theory elucidates the hazard of warfare when a nascent (emerging) state poses a challenge to supplant an established dominant power.
The Chinese leader supplemented that the globe is at a juncture defined by instability and doubt. Consequently, he conveyed, the inquiry confronting China and the United States revolves around whether the two nations can collaborate “to surmount hurdles and assure heightened global stability.”
A wide range of issues
Trump and Xi will partake in bilateral dialogues anticipated to encompass a spectrum of matters, spanning from the conflict with Iran to Taiwan, rare earth elements, and artificial intelligence.
Xi will host a lavish reception for Trump during the evening. On Friday, May 15, Trump will similarly convene with the Chinese leader for an informal luncheon before the US president embarks for Washington.
On Wednesday, May 13, Trump conveyed that his “initial request” to Xi would involve establishing more conducive circumstances for foremost US enterprises. He further communicated his intent to deliberate on the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz with Xi. Washington anticipates that Beijing, a substantial procurer of Iranian oil, can exert influence on Tehran to consent to reopening the vital waterway.
In contrast, Xi will probably pursue inducements from Trump concerning the reduction of US arms provisions to Taiwan or an explicit US pronouncement opposing the democratically administered island’s autonomy.
William Yang, a seasoned analyst at the International Crisis Group, expressed that senior government representatives in Taiwan, alongside Japan and the Philippines, harbor apprehensions regarding how Trump will react to any entreaties from Xi pertaining to Taiwan. These anxieties are magnified by the actuality that the US military is presently prioritizing the Middle East.
Experts suggest that the two nations persist in a tense disagreement: the United States has enforced penalties on Chinese refineries obtaining Iranian oil, whereas China has enforced stringent regulations on rare earth exports. Beijing’s export limitations on rare earths, instituted last year during the height of its trade dispute with Trump, continue to instigate considerable disruptions to industries in the United States, Europe, India, and elsewhere.
Trump additionally communicated his intention to address the situation of Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai, who was imprisoned subsequent to pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.
“We must persevere in efforts to diminish vulnerabilities in specific sectors, notably rare earth elements, wherein we depend on China,” articulated Republican Senator Steve Daines, who visited Beijing the prior week.
Daines appended that the US aspires to secure agreements with China concerning acquisitions of Boeing aircraft, beef products, and soybeans.
“They have not procured Boeing aircraft in nine years. There exists potential for a substantial accord with Boeing regarding aircraft,” the senator highlighted.
Chinese media spoke in a positive tone
Chinese government-controlled media, which frequently sharply critiques the United States, adopted a favorable demeanor in anticipation of the summit.
“Diplomacy at the level of national leaders assumes a vital position in supplying strategic orientation for Sino-US relations. The prospects for Sino-US relations are encouraging,” the nationalist Global Times publication, affiliated with the Communist Party of China, published on Thursday.
Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, May 13. The NYT documented that China perceives America’s waning influence under Trump’s leadership and is capitalizing on the opportunity. When Trump visited China in late 2017 during his initial tenure in the White House, Xi welcomed him with a lavish depiction of Chinese history and culture. Eight years subsequently, Trump revisits Beijing, where headlines are characterized by China’s potential future ascendance, instead of its ancient grandeur. China is gradually positioning itself not as a declining civilization endeavoring to align with the West, but rather as a global power poised to eclipse “the Western world.”
If we conceive of global politics as a unified framework, the United States embodies the function of the incumbent authority, while China constitutes the principal challenger for Washington's standing. Nonetheless, Beijing does not strive to dismantle American influence, but instead presents itself as an alternative wellspring of jurisdiction and constancy. While the United States conducts itself as an unpredictable instigator, China systematically endeavors to fulfill the role of a stabilizing entity, Bloomberg reported.