First the tension, now preparations to join hands! How will the meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping change the game?

US China Trade Deficit Trump Xi Beijing Summit: Trump’s visit to China will be historic, but no one can predict how much the ice will melt on the relations between America and China. Next week on May 14-15, Trump and Xi Jinping will shake hands several times, but it is difficult to say whether hearts will also meet. The reason is a long story of rift and distrust between the two superpowers.

Will all differences be resolved with this one visit? No one is expecting this. Nevertheless, countries around the world will be happy to see the heads of state of these two powerful countries meeting because their fights are causing more loss than benefit to the world system.

Iran’s help from behind the scenes

Although President Trump’s visit to China was decided long before the start of the war against Iran, he was scheduled to visit China in the last week of March, but this war postponed the US President’s visit to China by two weeks. now this Iran-US war This is going to be a big issue in the talks between Trump and Xi Jinping. Americans believe that China is helping Iran behind the scenes and is secretly supplying millions of gallons of oil in return.

Not only this, President Trump himself had requested China to participate in the operation to open the Strait of Hormuz, but Beijing did not provide any cooperation, in fact, when America started blocking the sea corridor around Hormuz, China openly objected to it. It will be interesting to see what the two world leaders decide on Iran. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister has visited China and informed Xi Jinping about his situation.

US imposed ban on Chinese companies

Now another news has cast a doubt on the success of Trump’s China tour. US Treasury Department On May 8, the U.S. announced a set of sanctions on 10 people and companies accused of providing drone technology or weapons-related materials to Iran. Companies from China and Hong Kong are also included among them.

Allegations that these units have helped Iran produce drones and ballistic missiles and continue to do so. China has reacted strongly to this and has clearly said that America has taken the sanctions action beyond its jurisdiction. Beijing has even said that regardless of such sanctions, Chinese companies will continue to exercise their legitimate rights. There will be no change in China’s stance.

Ban on buying petroleum products

Quoting He Weiwen, a fellow at the Center for China and Iran, the Global Times wrote that China and Iran are two sovereign countries and will continue to do normal trade. There is no legal basis for America’s ban. Only the UN Security Council can propose any sanctions. Even before this, America had announced a ban against five Chinese companies for secretly purchasing petroleum products from Iran, which China had also refused to accept.

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There will be talks with America on many issues

Washington and Beijing are already at loggerheads over trade imbalances and tariffs. In this matter, Trump has been aggressive against China since his first term. Trump had imposed additional tariffs on China in 2018, which President Biden also maintained.

Even in the second term, Trump wants China to accept American proposals, provide rare earths, sign an agreement to purchase American agricultural products, not use artificial intelligence in defense equipment beyond a limit and open its markets to American products. But it does not seem that China will easily accept all the demands and Trump will return from Beijing to Washington in a victorious posture. China has many issues of its own on which it is going to talk openly with America.

China’s biggest concern

Mainland China’s biggest complaint with the US is regarding American interference in Taiwan. America is not only continuously supplying arms and fighter aircraft to Taiwan, but is also maintaining diplomatic relations. This is a clear violation of Beijing’s One China Policy. China continues to threaten Taiwan in this matter, and has also often talked about direct conflict with America. China is preparing for concrete talks on this issue during Trump’s visit.

US-China trade

Xi Jinping finds this an opportune moment to resolve the Taiwan issue and annex it by the Mainland. After America’s unilateral action on Iran and Venezuela, Trump cannot make a moral appeal to respect the sovereignty of any country and he cannot even think of a possible war with China at this time. US Secretary of State Mark Rubio has also admitted that tough questions will come from China regarding Taiwan.

China becomes the largest trading partner

It is true that in the last few decades, China has become America’s largest trading partner. China is also the largest exporter to the American market at present. American multinational companies in the technology and automation sector have shifted their production units to China, due to which jobs for Americans are also decreasing.

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Like his first term, Trump this time also cites China’s trade policy as the biggest reason for this. He says that China sends its goods to America by paying very low duty, but imposes heavy duty on the goods coming from America. To prove his point right, Trump had recently imposed a tariff of up to 145 percent on China, but the US Supreme Court abolished the President’s right to impose arbitrary tariffs on the basis of emergency and China is currently saved from high tariffs.

Trump is putting pressure on China

At present, the trade between China and America is more than 400 billion dollars, but out of this, China exports more than 308 billion dollars to America and buys only around 100 billion dollars worth of goods from America. In this way, China is causing a trade deficit of more than 202 billion dollars to America.

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To bridge this gap, Trump is putting a lot of trade pressure on China. Especially steps like AI-related technology, ban on export of semiconductor chips and prohibition of giving discounts to Chinese technology companies in the American market have already been taken. Now it remains to be seen what doors to the impasse will be opened by this summit between the heads of state of US and China.

Vikram Upadhyay reports for Obnews Live–