How diplomacy works on the global stage

“EXCELLENT” was how US President Donald Trump described his talks on Saturday with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a meeting of the G20 in Osaka, during which Washington agreed to cast aside new tariffs.

After the evidently successful meeting with the Chinese leader, Trump then declared that trade negotiations with Beijing were “back on track.”

Economists had said a lengthy trade war could cripple the world’s economy amid increased geopolitical tensions, Brexit and other headwinds blowing hard.

The truce between the leaders of the world’s top two economies arguably showed that Trump and Xi could rise above the sensitive issues that had created so much tension between them, such as those involving Chinese telecoms company Huawei and climate change. These matters particularly ruffle the feathers of Washington and Beijing, and were among the explosive issues brought to Osaka. A peaceful settlement of these disputes could be the key to stabilizing the global economy.

It also apparently demonstrated that Trump had reciprocated his Chinese counterpart’s earlier statement to him that dialog was better than confrontation. “Cooperation and dialog are better than friction and confrontation,” Xi had said.

More importantly, the cordial atmosphere that prevailed at the summit, even on its sidelines, showed, too, the political maturity that must attend such high- level talks on the global stage. If the next US- China talks lead to mutual economic relief and a solid trade agreement in the end, it could redound to a windfall that would benefit not just the main protagonists but their smaller trading partners as well.

It should be pointed out that the United States remains as the Philippines’ biggest trade partner, and any milestone achieved by America, including a suspended trade war, would possibly rub off on Manila.

The Osaka truce is also one occasion where, if the US sneezes, the world won’t mind catching a cold.

Trump apparently was also being politically pragmatic with his reconciliatory tone toward China during the four- day meeting in Japan.

The Associated Press said the US leader’s “reelection chances [ in 2022] have been put at risk by the trade war that has hurt American farmers and battered global markets.”

Trump reportedly had, prior to the G20 summit, threatened to impose tariffs on an additional $ 300 billion worth of Chinese imports — on top of the $ 250 billion in goods he had already taxed — extending his import taxes to virtually everything China ships to the US.

He also reportedly had said the new tariffs, paid by US importers and usually passed on to consumers, might start at 10 percent. The Trump administration earlier said the additional tariffs might reach 25 percent.

Under the Trump- Xi truce, according to The Associated Press, “existing tariffs and counter- tariffs on many of each other’s goods would remain in place [ but] no additional import taxes would take effect.”

Diplomacy wins.