Trump-Xi summit at risk of collapse over tariffs and fentanyl - Financial Times
Kyiv • UNN
The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is at risk of collapse. The reason is customs tariffs and the issue of fentanyl, which are hindering progress in negotiations.
The prospects for a Trump-Xi summit in Beijing are overshadowed by tariffs and the fentanyl issue, UNN reports, citing a Financial Times publication.
Details
There has been little noticeable progress in negotiations between the US and China, which reduces the likelihood of a summit between the leaders of the countries – Donald Trump and Xi Jinping – in Beijing.
It was previously revealed that China officially invited Donald Trump to Beijing for a summit with President Xi Jinping. But Washington has not yet responded. The US and China still have "different views on trade and fentanyl supply."
A major obstacle has been US frustration with Beijing for failing to stop the export of chemicals used to produce fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid.
Beijing offered to take action, but only in conjunction with the US lifting fentanyl-related tariffs that Trump imposed against China.
Differences between Washington and Beijing
The US insists that China must take action and show results before any easing of tariffs.
In light of the above, a possible meeting between Trump and Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit seems much less significant.
Comment
There are likely still conflicting opinions on whether Trump and Xi should meet in Beijing or within the framework of APEC. Furthermore, Beijing is still trying to understand what the Trump administration wants – a real deal, continuous negotiations, or a photo op in Beijing?
It is unlikely that Beijing would want to provide pomp that would exceed his 2017 visit, and President Trump would be wary of being seen as the finishing touch to Beijing's recent wave of high-level visits by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
He notes that the justification for holding a summit in Beijing is "eroding" due to the lack of breakthroughs in negotiations.
At the same time, there is still a "compelling logic" for a meeting at APEC.
The opinion of Dennis Wilder, a former senior White House official in China.
He believes it is more likely that Trump and Xi will meet in Beijing.
Trump would almost certainly prefer a summit in Beijing to counter recent images of the warm reception given to Putin and Kim. A meeting on the sidelines of APEC would too closely resemble the meeting between Biden and Xi on the sidelines of last year's APEC summit in San Francisco.
Recall
Donald Trump stated that he is not seeking a meeting with Xi Jinping, but is ready to visit China only at his invitation. Earlier, the Trump administration denied the President of Taiwan a stopover in New York after objections from China.
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