At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump will pay a state visit to China from May 13 to 15.
An unfinished Iran war could give Xi the upper hand in Trump talks
The rare in-person meeting, already once delayed due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, is now scheduled for May 14-15, according to the White House.
Several sources indicate Beijing views the high-stakes summit as a singular opportunity to secure a more stable long-term relationship with its largest economic and military competitor.
China’s foreign policy has a basic standpoint: China-US relations are the top priority. Once China-US relations are stable, that can in turn help to stabilize and even improve China’s relations with other countries.
The sudden introduction of Iran, a close partner of Beijing, into the center of US-China relations has made things complex and difficult for the Chinese side.
“Trump now would want to turn the Iran page as quickly as possible,” said Wu Xinbo, a Foreign Policy Advisory Committee member of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“If the US had gained an upper hand, Trump would have much stronger leverage.
But now it’s clear, the US simply couldn’t handle Iran. So in a sense, when it comes to negotiations with China, its relative bargaining position has been weakened.”
Chinese officials are believed to have played a role in bringing Iran to the negotiating table. But while a subsequent ceasefire has largely halted fighting in Iran, Washington and Tehran remain unable to agree to a more secure peace.
The situation could now present China with a unique opportunity to capitalize on the standoff.
Trump rejects Iranian response to US peace proposal; Tehran warns of new attacks.
Iran war could make Trump’s trip to China a bit chillier than his first-term visit
Beijing’s deep economic ties to Iran, as well as trade tensions over tariff threats stretching back to Trump’s first term, could crimp the good feelings when Trump flies to Beijing this week — even though the Republican president has for years effusively praised Xi, making it clear he sees China’s leader as a competitor strong enough to warrant his respect and admiration.
Trump lately isn’t very fond of long plane rides or extended stretches away from the White House or his properties in Florida and New Jersey.
He arrives in Beijing on Wednesday night and the next morning will take part in a welcome ceremony and meet one-on-one with Xi before the two leaders tour the Temple of Heaven — a religious complex dating to the 15th century
... symbolizing the relationship between Earth and heaven.
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