It’s been an amazing and somewhat shocking few days in world events. While President Trump was meeting with President Xi Jinping at their summit at Mar-a-lago, United States destroyers were preparing to launch cruise missiles into Syria, purportedly to punish President Assad for a deadly gas attack. In fact, the attacks began just as President Trump and President Xi were concluding their summit where the issue of North Korean belligerence and nuclear ambitions were clearly a topic. A coincidence?
In spite of some genuine differences, the summit between the American and Chinese leaders was characterized as productive and cordial.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters that Trump was able to build on his important relationship with the president of China but was “frank” and “candid” about their differences.
“I think all of us are feeling very good about the results of this summit in terms of what it did for setting a very constructive tone going forward,” he said.
Chinese State media noted that “Xi’s two-day trip at Mar-a-Lago was marked by cordiality, with both presidents seen smile [sic] to each other.”
So what did the two men discuss?
Trade is a huge issue for both countries, and was a major topic.
Trump told the Chinese that they needed to “level the playing field for American workers,” according to a statement from the White House. He expressed concerns about the Chinese government’s intervention in U.S. economy was hurting jobs for the American worker.
Both Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross spoke positively of a “100-day plan” that they discussed with their Chinese counterparts to make important changes immediately.
“The most interesting thing to me was they expressed an interest in reducing their net trade balance because of the impact it’s having on money supply and inflation,” Ross said about the Chinese. “That’s the first time I’ve heard them say that in a bilateral context.”
According to Xinhua, the Chinese state media, President Xi urged both countries to “grasp the opportunity” of economic development between the two countries and signaled interest in future investments.
“China welcomes the U.S. side to participate in cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative,” said Xi.
We see here a number of themes regarding trade that are consistent with what President Trump emphasized during his campaign. Clearly, it’s to both countries’ advantage to cooperate here as a trade war is precisely what must be avoided.
North Korea would be another topic of major importance.
Trump and the Chinese agreed that North Korea’s nuclear weapons program presented a challenge to the region and said that they would take steps to pressure the rogue state with the “international community.”
No agreement was reached, but the United States reasserted that it is willing to act alone.
“[W]e understand it creates unique problems for them and challenges and that we would, and are, prepared to chart our own course if this is something China is just unable to coordinate with us,” Tillerson said.
It would be desirable to have had a more unified statement than this, but the fact that the nations are talking about a problem that both agree exists is helpful. China is likely very wary of any reunification of the two Koreas as that would likely put a US ally right on China’s border. On the other hand, they definitely do not need Kim Jong-un lighting off nuclear weapons.
Other issues such as human rights and Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea were discussed as well.
No one should expect such a first meeting to resolve all the differences, yet it appears to have been an important step, and it’s when nations are actively engaged in real negotiations that progress is possible and potential conflicts can be reduced or avoided.
Source: Breitbart
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