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Trump 2.0: Getting US-China ties right despite the odds
The outlook is grim but not entirely hopeless.
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In other words, the future of US-China relations is not preordained. To a great extent, the ball is in Trump’s court.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Zhiqun Zhu
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Since winning the presidential election, Donald Trump has struck a conciliatory tone towards China. He has said repeatedly that President Xi Jinping is a good friend and invited him to his inauguration
However, most observers feel pessimistic about US-China relations in the Trump 2.0 era given his unpredictability and transactional style. Trump’s recent friendly gesture towards Mr Xi is reminiscent of the honeymoon they enjoyed in Trump’s first term (2017-2021). In April 2017, Trump and then First Lady Melania Trump hosted President Xi and Madam Peng Liyuan at Mar-a-Lago, and the two couples enjoyed tea at the Forbidden City in November 2017. Yet, the honeymoon ended when Trump launched the trade war with China in January 2018.
