334
With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit looming, rumors are growing of a possible encounter between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. To be held in Gyeongju, South Korea from October 30 to November 1, the summit is set to be a vital backdrop for diplomatic outreach between the two global superpowers, a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP) quoted unnamed sources as saying.
Although Xi is likely to attend the summit, Trump’s presence is still not confirmed. Yet, there may be a chance for the two to meet either in South Korea or on a special visit to China prior to the event. Chinese and American officials have also made progress within recent weeks toward alleviating strained relations, such as a one-on-one meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Last month, President Xi invited Trump and his wife to visit China in a gesture which was said to have been reciprocated by Trump. Rubio underlined a “strong desire on both sides” for a presidential summit. Bilateral tensions have been increased since Trump returned to the White House in January through threats of 145% tariffs on Chinese products. However, both countries recently made their moves to stabilize their relations, such as a tentative trade deal that relaxes restrictions on Chinese rare earth exports and US tech trade.
Analysts say any encounter before or at APEC possibly in Shanghai would be very different from Trump’s 2017 trip to Beijing. Diao Daming, a political scientist at Renmin University, stated that any engagement under the proper circumstances would be good for bilateral relations. Bonnie Glaser of the German Marshall Fund concurred, stating China views such summits as stabilizing, hoping to push the US on relaxing tech restrictions and reiterating its opposition to Taiwan independence.
Despite this optimism, though, analysts warn that tensions between the US and China over Taiwan or provocative US policy actions could put summit planning at risk. “One misstep could blow up the whole process,” said Eurasia Group’s Jeremy Chan. He cited Trump’s enthusiasm as potentially providing diplomatic leverage for Beijing: “He’d be on a plane to Beijing tomorrow if he could. But China wants everything scripted.”
Witnesses concur that both parties are striving towards a favorable atmosphere for negotiations albeit how and when the summit happens is unclear.
