Trump hoping to seal trade deals in Beijing with Xi
President Donald Trump will arrive in Beijing for an official visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a time when the world is unsettled, worried about war, trade and artificial intelligence.
“We are two superpowers,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Tuesday.
“We are the most powerful nation in the world militarily. China is considered second.”
While Trump likes to project a sense of power, the state visit comes at a sensitive time for his presidency, as his popularity at home has waned due to the United States and Israel’s war with Iran and rising inflation as a result of that conflict.
The president is trying to cash in by signing deals with China to buy more American food and planes, and says he will talk to Xi about trade “more than anything else.”
The Trump administration hopes to begin the process of establishing a “Board of Trade” with China to address differences between the countries.
The board could help avert a trade war sparked last year after Trump’s tariff hikes, an action China opposes through its control of rare earth minerals. This led to a one-year ceasefire last October.
But Trump comes to Beijing at a time when Iran continues to dominate its domestic agenda.
The war effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, stranding oil and gas tankers and causing energy prices to rise to levels that could sabotage global economic growth.
The US president declared that there was no need for Xi to help resolve the dispute, even though Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Beijing last week.
“We have a lot to discuss. I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest, because Iran is largely under our control,” Trump told reporters.
Taiwan’s status also appears to be an important issue, as China is unhappy with US plans to sell weapons to the autonomous island, which the Chinese government claims is part of its territory.
Trump told reporters on Monday that he would discuss with Xi the US$11 billion ($15 billion) arms package authorized for Taiwan.
At the same time, Taiwan, as the world’s leading chip manufacturer, has become indispensable for the development of artificial intelligence; So far this year, the United States has imported more goods from Taiwan than from China.
Trump has tried to use Biden-era programs and his own deals to bring more chipmaking to America.
But Trump was already portraying the trip as a success before leaving the White House.
He openly commented on Xi’s planned reciprocal visit to the United States and lamented that the ballroom under construction would not be completed on time.
“We will have a great relationship for decades to come,” Trump said of the United States and China.
“As you know, President Xi will be coming here towards the end of the year. That would be very exciting. I wish we had finished the ballroom.”
