Trump, China’s Xi talk trade as economic titans jockey for edge
De-escalating trade war chief talking point
OSAKA, Japan — A trade war between two economic titans faced a critical juncture today, as President Donald Trump met with China’s Xi Jinping as both sides signaled a desire to de-escalate the year-long conflict despite doubts about either side’s willingness to compromise.
Taking place on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Japan, the meeting was the centerpiece of four days of diplomacy for Trump, whose reelection chances have been put at risk by the trade war that has both hurt American farmers and battered global markets. Tensions rose in recent weeks after negotiations collapsed last month and the two sides levied intensifying eye-foran-eye punishments.
“We’ve had an excellent relationship,” Trump told Xi as the meeting opened, “but we want to do something that will even it up with respect to trade.”
Seated across a wide table flanked by top aides, both leaders struck a cautiously optimistic tone after greeting each other and posing for photographs.
“I think this can be a very productive meeting and I think we can go on to do something that will be truly monumental and great for both countries,” Trump said.
Xi, for his part, recounted the era of “ping-pong diplomacy” which helped jump-start U.S.-China relations two generations ago. He said that, since then, “One basic fact remains unchanged: China and the United States both benefit from cooperation and lose in confrontation.”
“Cooperation and dialogue are better than friction and confrontation,” he added.
The meeting with Xi is one of three Trump lined up today with world leaders displaying authoritarian tendencies.
Trump had his first face-toface sit-down with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Bin Salman since the U.S. intelligence community concluded that the crown prince directed the grisly murder of Washington Post columnist, and American resident, Jamal Khashoggi last year. And he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ostensible NATO ally whom the U.S. sees as drifting dangerously toward Russia’s sphere of influence.
Meeting with the Saudi crown prince, Trump praised his “friend” for taking steps to open up the kingdom and extend freedoms to Saudi women.
Trump, however, ignored reporters’ questions about Mohammed’s alleged role in Khashoggi’s death. A U.N. expert has called for an investigation into Mohammed’s alleged involvement in the killing at the Saudi consulate in Turkey last year.
The diplomacy plays out as Trump’s reelection campaign battle is beginning to heat up, a contest that could be partially defined by whether a resolution to the trade war with China can be found before more economic pain is inflicted on Americans.