US-China rifts widen despite economic headway
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Three months after a lavish welcome for his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at his Florida resort, the powers have made headway on an ambitious economic plan even as diplomatic rifts between them have widened.
Speaking in Paris on Thursday, the American leader was full of praise for Xi, proclaiming him a “friend” for whom he has “great respect”, a “great leader” and a “very talented man.”
The expressions of admiration Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang had hailed “positive advances” in China-US economic cooperation based on a spirit of “consensus” between the two leaders.
Both sides see moderate progress on a wide-ranging 100-day eco Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in April services, investment, energy and president’s heart.
Evans Revere, an analyst at Brookings Institution, told AFP: “Both sides seem to share the view that the 100day plan is largely on track.”
Jake Parker, vice president of the US-China Business Council in Beijing, largely agreed: “Overall, the 100-day - dressing lingering issues in the USChina commercial relationship,” he said, while adding that more needed to be done to address structural issues such as foreign investment restrictions.
But despite the effusive rhetoric, that progress has not been matched in other areas of the relationship with ever widening rifts on a host of foreign policy issues.
The US appears bitterly disappointed over China’s failure to exert pressure on North Korea in the wake - tic missile test, while Beijing has been left fuming at American incursions into disputed territory in the South China Sea, arms sales to Taiwan and statements on human rights.
Chinese bogeyman
Trump made China a central part of his presidential campaign, denouncing the country for unfair trading practices that cost Americans jobs and accusing it of manipulating its currency.
Since becoming president, however, he has taken an about turn on the currency issue and in May announced a deal to export American beef and gas to China in the hope of reducing a billion in 2016.
day plan will likely be feted at the US- China Comprehensive Eco July 19 in Washington, hosted by US treasury and commerce secretaries Steven Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross and Chinese vice premier Wang Yang.
But in other contentious areas of Korean peninsula, China’s maritime disputes with its neighbors, Taiwan are far apart,” says Revere.
The US has scolded Beijing for not putting enough pressure on North Korea, which increased trade with its key diplomatic backer by 10.5 percent
The July 4 launch of an ICBM by Pyongyang signaled that Trump’s “naive experiment regarding China and North Korea is now coming to an end,” said Revere, vindicating foreign policy experts’ skepticism towards relying on Beijing to rein in its neighbor.
Patience evaporating
As evidence of the shift, Revere cited US sanctions on Chinese entities such accused of illicit dealings with companies linked to the weapons program, days before the launch.
Tensions have also been stoked by the passage of a US warship near a reef claimed by Beijing in May and two B-1 bombers over disputed waters in July, acts denounced by China as grave military and political provocations.
Washington meanwhile approved a $1.3-billion arms deal to Taiwan, an island which Beijing considers a
The developments appeared to have been acknowledged by Geng Shuang as “negative factors” in the relationship brought about by “actions of the US.”
On the thorny question of human rights, statements from the US State Kong’s freedoms, desist its crackdown on lawyers, or condemning Beijing for the death in custody Nobel peace prize winner Liu Xiaobo.
As for Trump’s continuing habit of praising the Chinese leader, Revere believes it stems largely from “a desire to keep the door open in case Beijing changes its posture visa-vis North Korea, as well as to try to keep the US-China relationship on a steady course.”