Trump sees ‘very difficult’ Xi meeting
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has predicted an upcoming meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping would be “very difficult”, staking out an adversarial position ahead of the highprofile first summit between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies.
Mr Trump’s comments on Thursday appeared to herald a return to a tougher line from the president, who initially took a hawkish tone on the Asian giant in the weeks after his election before softening his rhetoric.
“The meeting next week with China will be a very difficult one,” Mr Trump tweeted, in apparent reference to a Xi visit planned for next week in Mar-a-Lago.
“We can no l onger have massive trade deficits ... and job losses. American companies must be prepared to look at other alternatives.”
The summit at Mr Trump’s Florida residence will be the first face-to-face meeting between the heads of the world’s two most powerful nations and leading economies.
It follows a rocky start to US-China relations under the billionaire politician, who has repeatedly blasted Beijing for its trade policies and reluctance to bring pressure on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programmes.
But at a briefing in Beijing yesterday, China’s vice-minister of foreign affairs Zheng Zeguang sidestepped questions about Mr Trump’s remarks, repeatedly emphasising that “both China and the US attach great importance to the upcoming presidential meeting”.
Washington and Beijing “hope for a successful meeting so that a correct direction will be set for the growth of bilateral relations”, he added.
The meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, could be crucial in setting the tone of the relationship between the two powers in coming years.
The White House said that the leaders will “discuss global, regional and bilateral issues of mutual concern”.
Just weeks ago the summit seemed a distant possibility after Mr Trump infuriated Beijing with suggestions he might break from the US’ long-standing One China Policy, which nominally acknowledges the Asian giant’s claims over Taiwan without recognising them.
In a conciliatory phone call in midFebruary, the US president walked back controversial comments on Taiwan, creating an opening for Washington and Beijing to discuss a meeting.
“The summit could well be a peaceful combination of a strategic kumbaya and economic gift-giving, before storms erupt later over trade, regional hotspots and human resources issues,” according to Douglas Paal, Asia Director at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.