Trump trip can pave the way for smooth ties ahead

US President Donald Trump clearly had a good time on Wednesday, the day he and his wife Melania Trump arrived in Beijing. In his tweets, he thanked China and its leaders for the “beautiful welcome” and “unforgettable afternoon and evening at the Forbidden City”.

The same day, Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang and US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross witnessed the signing of business deals worth $9 billion.

The day happened to be the one-year anniversary of Trump winning a surprise victory in the 2016 election.

It is understandable that some long-standing issues between the two countries, such as US concern for market access and intellectual property and Chinese concern for excessive scrutiny of Chinese investment in the US and restriction of high-tech exports to China, won’t be resolved during this visit.

Just look at how difficult it is for the Trump administration, or any US administration, to push for major domestic policy changes, whether it’s healthcare or tax reform.

In fact, two identical bills introduced on Wednesday in the US Senate and House of Representatives to beef up the scrutiny of foreign investment, especially from China, if passed, would worsen the concern on the Chinese side.

And China’s reform and opening-up in the past four decades is a process of gradual evolution. Former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping described it as “crossing the river by feeling the stones”, meaning it is generally going forward but might move sideward or even backward sometimes.

The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation ... and the “Make America Great Again” policy ... will only become more attainable if the two countries work closely to expand their cooperation ...