Trump and Xi in Beijing: suggestive words and images, but few deals
The US president's long-awaited visit to the Chinese capital was marked by optimistic tones, but no joint statement on what the two leaders discussed. There is talk of deals on soybeans and new Boeing aircraft, but competition over artificial intelligence remains. Chinese analysts stress Xi Jinping’s notion of “constructive strategic stability”.
Milan (AsiaNews/Agencies) – What will remain of the warm symbolic gestures, a 15-second handshake, promises of "fantastic trade deals”, and optimistic tones about the stability of relations between the two superpowers after the long-awaited and much-hyped summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping ends today in Beijing?
The carefully crafted stage and well-managed visits, including to the Great Hall of the People, the Temple of Heaven, and Zhongnanhai, conveyed a message of harmony and cooperation, with Xi calling the meeting "historic" and Trump describing it as “unforgettable”.
Despite the visible optimism, all observers emphasise that critical issues remain over trade, Taiwan, global security, and artificial intelligence (AI) chips.
Trump spoke to reporters about agreements on US soybean exports and contracts with Boeing for the supply of new aircraft, but no official Chinese statement mentioned them.
The same goes for Chinese reassurances regarding opposition to nuclear weapons for Iran and new military supplies: the only mention in Chinese reports on Hormuz cites Beijing's concerns about its militarisation.
Despite expectations, no concrete developments about AI or advanced semiconductors were announced during the summit.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that the two sides planned to discuss AI guard rails, but explained that maintaining the US lead over China in this area was of crucial importance.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's participation in the Beijing summit offered a sign of openness, but AI and semiconductors remain at the heart of the US-China competition, with Washington determined to prevent Beijing from closing the technological gap.
Chinese analysts highlighted Xi's notion of "constructive strategic stability" as the foundation of Sino-US relations, arguing that the concept of "strategic stability" implies that relations between China and the United States should be managed on the basis of equality rather than in an order dominated by Washington. This reflects China's growing confidence in its place in the world.
Still, the language appears closer to the US perspective, although the adjective "constructive" signals Beijing's desire to move beyond passive stability, limited to crisis management.
Regarding Taiwan, the final part of the Chinese statement addressed the issue, reiterating the island's place as “the most important issue” in bilateral relations.
To this end, Xi warned the US that it “must exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan question,” the only remarks with an admonitory tone heard during the two days, a sign of how crucial Beijing views the matter in its relationship with Washington.
Unfortunately, but no surprise here, nothing suggests that Trump got any overture regarding Jimmy Lai and dissidents like him jailed in China for political reasons.
Washington and Beijing, in short, are talking to each other, and this is certainly a positive fact, but whether or not this can truly offer some response to the many ongoing crises remains to be seen.
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27/03/2020 17:03
15/01/2021 14:00
