Has China pulled one over on Trump?
Just got done reading a couple of articles about his China visit. And, while it appears that there were a lot of pleasantries and compliments exchanged by Trump and China’s President Xi...and a lot of nice words before, during and after, in the final analysis was there really anything of substance achieved?
From reading these articles, it appears that the answer is clearly no.
Trump backed down from the anti-China belligerence of his presidential campaign only to cozy up to Xi about as closely as a president possibly could.
From reading the headline of one article, one would think this was a diplomatic victory comparable to Nixon’s visit to China: : “China, U.S. ‘unequivocal’ on rejecting nuke-armed North Korea: Tillerson.”
Sounds great, right? From the headline, it sounds as if Trump’s visit to China has achieved in a few days what all other administrations have been unable to achieve over decades, right?
According to Tillerson and the article, that’s what one would be led to believe. But…keep reading…
The article goes on to say that Trump lavished praise on Chinese President Xi, that China and U.S. efforts are “complementary” in that both want to bring North Korea to the bargaining table. And Trump is quoted as saying “We’ve had some tremendous discussions on that today and I think things will happen, I believe things will happen.”
And then all of the…“ifs,” “and’s” and “buts” begin:
First of all...if you re-read the quote from Trump you may note the tense used. He thinks things “will” happen. And then…that he “believes” “things“ n”will” happen. Lots of fudge words there about something happening in the undefined future.
And then there is the money quote:
“...officials gave no indication of new steps China would take to help resolve the standoff with North Korea or a clear timetable for moves in the future.”
The article goes on to soft-peddle the fact that there are “differences” between the tactics the U.S. would like to use and those China prefers.
For instance, China would prefer to let the current sanctions in place to take more time to have an effect. In other words...no change. A massive profusion of compliments to Xi by Trump and a lot of words of some kind of future hope, but...and here’s the biggest “but” of all: no change was agreed to now nor any kind of timetable for any kind of change in the future.
In addition to North Korea, the other main subject of the visit was on trade relations. And, like with North Korea, a superficial look at what transpired would make it appear as if Trump was victorious there, too, striking up several trade deals.
Unfortunately for Trump, just like his efforts regarding North Korea, those trade deals that were struck were mostly...nonbinding.
Now, nobody can call me a business or trade expert, but when two parties strike a “deal” regarding anything but then agree for it to be “nonbinding” that tells me that there really wasn’t anything much really agreed to in the first place.
Talk about a giant nothing burger.
So...after going to China and pandering shamelessly and practically prostrating himself to China’s leader, Trump comes away with...the status quo.
Could someone please clarify for me how that constitutes a diplomatic victory of any sort?
What it looks like to me is that Xi and his folks played Trump with all kinds of insincere flattery while giving him, in exchange...pretty much nothing. Were they just toying with him? That’s what it looks like to me.
In this particular case, it could best be described as Trump’s “Fart of a Deal.”
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/chinese-us-unequivocal-rejecting-nuke-armed-north-korea-095003469--abc-news-topstories.html
www.npr.org/...