Trump Kicks Off China Visit, Asserts Independence on Iran Issue

Donald Trump’s scheduled arrival in Beijing on Wednesday marks the first visit by a U.S. president to China in almost ten years. His trip aims to bolster trade ties, even as issues regarding Taiwan and Iran loom.

Trump departed from Washington D.C. on Wednesday after a delay caused by his focus on war efforts. He mentioned having a “long discussion” planned with Chinese President Xi Jinping, particularly concerning Iran, a nation whose oil sales to China continue despite U.S. sanctions.

However, Trump downplayed any conflicts over Iran, stating that Xi has been “relatively good, to be honest.”

Addressing reporters before leaving the White House, Trump expressed confidence about the Iran situation: “We don’t need any help with Iran. We’ll succeed one way or another, through peaceful means or otherwise.”

This week’s visit—the first since Trump’s 2017 trip—features crucial discussions with Xi on Friday and Saturday. The agenda includes a state banquet and a tea reception, making for a busy schedule.

Trump said on Tuesday that he would speak to Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by China — a departure from historic US insistence that it will not consult China on its support to the island.

China’s controls on rare earth exports and the countries’ raucous trade relationship are among the topics expected to be taken up by the heads of the world’s top two economies.

The tense buildup to the superpower summit was already visible on Wednesday on the streets of Beijing, with police monitoring major intersections and checking the ID cards of passengers on the metro, Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalists saw.

“It’s definitely a big deal,” said Wen Wen, a 24-year-old woman travelling from the eastern city of Nanjing, when asked by AFP about Trump’s visit.

“Some progress will certainly be made,” she said, noting that she hopes China and the United States can ensure “lasting peace” despite “recent instability in the global situation”.

Trade ties between China and the US have been fraught in recent years. The two sides are currently maintaining a one-year truce in their tariff war reached at Trump and Xi’s last meeting in South Korea in October.

China’s major surplus in trade with the United States has long irritated Trump, who slapped tariffs on the country’s goods during his first term in office.

Trump will be accompanied in China by a large group of top US business executives, including Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook, the White House has said.

The highly anticipated summit comes at an uncertain time for China’s economy, which has struggled in recent years with sluggish domestic spending and a protracted debt crisis in the once-booming property sector.

‘Responsibilities as major powers’

For Li Jiahao, 30, who manages a Beijing karaoke bar, the summit will not necessarily solve all problems in China-US relations — though he is hoping for “positive results”.

“Coming here and actually resolving the issues are two different things,” he told AFP.

“China and the United States both have responsibilities as major powers,” he said, adding that “only through friendship can we achieve mutual development and become stronger”.

The war in Iran — launched by the United States and Israel on 28 February — has presented new challenges in the already-complicated relationship between China and the US.

The US Treasury Department on Monday sanctioned 12 individuals and entities — including several based in Hong Kong — it said facilitated the sale and shipment of Iranian oil to China.

Asked about the latest moves on Wednesday, Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for Beijing’s foreign ministry, said that “China firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions”.

Trump’s trip will be closely scrutinised in Taiwan for any sign of weakening US support.

Trump insisted on Tuesday that his personal relationship with Xi would prevent a Chinese invasion of the island.

“I think we’ll be fine. I have a very good relationship with President Xi. He knows I don’t want that to happen.”

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