Xi-Trump summit: Room for cautious optimism?
- By Jon Taylor
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 6, 2017
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Aerial photo taken on March 22, 2017 shows the view of Mar-a-lago club at Palm Beach, Florida, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) |
On April 6-7, Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet face-to-face with U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time at an informal summit at Trump's Mar-a-Lago, Florida hotel resort.
Irrespective of the formality of the meeting, when the leaders of what are arguably the world's two most important nations meet, it has global implications. Any opportunity to establish a personal connection between Xi and Trump only serves to enhance both mutual trust and stability in relations between China and the U.S.
The summit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to get to know each other as well as to exchange views on China-U.S. relations, discuss major international and regional issues that are of common concern, and raise some important questions regarding the future path of China-U.S. relations.
The meeting comes at a particularly important time in China-U.S. relations. The new U.S. president faces a series of political controversies and mounting opposition to his policy initiatives. China faces pressures from an economic slowdown and the continuing anti-corruption campaign, expanding urbanization, and reducing poverty.
A successful summit could give Trump a much needed "win." An unsuccessful summit would likely not hurt Trump among his most ardent supporters, but would further diminish U.S. credibility among its allies and potentially be the opening salvo in a very messy and unnecessary trade war.
This will be Trump's first real experience in handling major-power diplomacy as U.S. president. It provides him with the chance to show both good faith with Xi and to underscore the value of sound and stable China-U.S. relations. Ideally, the summit should serve to enhance understanding on both sides and to eliminate any misunderstandings that either side may have about the other.
Trump has made many hostile attacks on China during his presidential campaign. He has charged her with currency manipulation and unfairness in bilateral trade issues; he violated four decades of protocol and policy by taking a phone call from the Taiwanese leader after he was elected; and he suggested that he was prepared to re-visit the "One-China" principle.
Some Western scholars, commentators, and think tank policy analysts believe that this is not the right time for a China-U.S. summit, specifically because they believe that Trump and his administration are just not ready for the summit.
Yet, despite Trump's antagonistic comments and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's aggressive words on the South China Sea, China and the U.S. appear to have managed to maintain a level of relatively effective communication that will, with work, ensure a stable and equitable bilateral relationship.
This was underscored in a recent interview in which Trump stated that he had great respect for both China and Xi Jinping, noting that "I would not be at all surprised if we did something that would be very dramatic and good for both countries and I hope so."
The current scope of China-U.S. relations is much like a lot of relationships: It's complicated. Bilateral relations are marked by complexity and interdependence - one that faces an increasing number of areas of tension and disagreement which need to be resolved or at least managed.
What Trump will discover in his discussions with Xi is that China and the U.S. have significant areas for potential collaboration beyond trade and economic policy - from countering piracy and addressing environmental issues to fighting terrorism to dealing with the Korean peninsula.
While Trump will likely loudly complain about the trade deficit and the perceived loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs at the hands of China, he will learn that the U.S. and Chinese economies are inextricably linked to each other and that economic success is not a zero-sum game.
So how optimistic or pessimistic should we be about this summit? Finding ways for China and the U.S. to work together and collaborate is of monumental global importance. The sheer number of challenges facing the world today cannot be resolved without China and the U.S. working together.
That first step in sincerely working together is being taken by Xi by making a very long trip just to see Trump at his Florida home. Establishing a personal connection will allow Xi and Trump to get more than just a passing impression of the other while also spelling out some of the importance of their policy priorities face-to-face.
So perhaps the time is right for a summit after all. A successful summit would publicly convey the message that China and the U.S. can find ways to work together to solve problems through constructive dialogue.
While one summit meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump will not resolve the issues that divide China and the U.S. immediately or even in the long term, there is hope that some progress can be made with this summit. Both countries are pragmatic, prudent, and understand the importance of a stable and predictable relationship. Neither is really looking for trouble, and the issues between them, while sometimes difficult and complicated, can be managed.
Although Chinese and American interests may not always or often directly align, when China and the U.S. can find common ground and work together to address bilateral or global challenges, the entire world benefits.
Dr. Jon R. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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