China-US talks: The three things Trump and Xi want most

BEIJING — Before setting off on his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour, US President Donald Trump made it clear what he wanted to discuss with the leaders of the five countries he planned to visit.

“We’ll be talking about trade … we’ll be talking about North Korea,” he said at the White House last Friday (Nov 3).

But while Mr Trump appears to have it all mapped out, it has yet to be confirmed what topics are of main interest to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mr Trump arrived in China for a three-day visit on Wednesday (Nov 8) and will meet his Chinese counterpart the next day.

The South China Morning Post asked three international relations experts what they think would be the main issues for discussion on the table:

WHAT CHINA WANTS FROM MR TRUMP’S VISIT

1. A clear statement from Washington on its view of Sino-US relations

“(Trade and North Korea) are on the US’ agenda for the meeting, (but) China has a different perspective,” Mr Liu Weidong, a US affairs expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said.

“The US likes to deal with China by touching on very practical issues first and then developing strategic relations. But China wants the US to define the relationship first, before going into the details of how to resolve individual problems.”

Mr Liu said Mr Trump had never been clear on how he sees China in Washington’s regional strategy. Also, unlike his predecessor Barack Obama, who stressed the need to build a peaceful strategic partnership, Mr Trump has not set any mutual goals for the two countries, he said.

Mr Zhang Zhexin, a research fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said he expects the two leaders to issue a joint statement after their meeting, saying China and the US would establish a balanced economic partnership, expand the scope of their cooperation and work together to avoid conflict.

2. A reiteration of China’s “legitimate rights”

On the subject of Taiwan, Mr Xi would again seek Trump’s acknowledgement of the “one China” policy as he did at their first meeting in April in Florida, Mr Kerry Brown, a China expert at King’s College London, said.

Mr Xi is also likely to reiterate China’s claims in the South China Sea, and advise the US to maintain a low profile in the contested waterway, where China has already built several artificial islands, Mr Brown observed.

“China will also convey its view that the Pacific is a space for both China and America. It is not looking for the US to exit (the area), but there is no hierarchy among the two.”

3. Win-win trade relations

Mr Xi said in his opening speech at the Communist Party’s congress last month that China would continue to open up its markets. However, the arrangement had to be mutually beneficial, Mr Zhang said.

“China is ready to open up some of its markets to the US … its cultural and banking sectors, for example … as long as it is a win-win situation,” he said.

Beijing would not “give in to US trade requests easily”, as it had done in the first 10 months of the Trump presidency by agreeing to US-led proposals on trade and North Korea, Mr Zheng added.

WHAT THE US WANTS FROM MR TRUMP’S TRIP

1. More balanced trade

Mr Trump promised that during his talks with Mr Xi he would help narrow the US$347 billion (S$473 billion) trade deficit the US has with China. Beside him on the visit will be US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross who will lead a trade delegation of 29 US companies.

“Trump will not go back to the US empty-handed, without any business deals or new trade agreements,” Mr Zhang noted.

2. More commitment from China to resolve the North Korea issue

Mr Zhang said the US wanted to see China actively pushing for a denuclearised North Korea and to fully abide by UN sanctions.

Mr Liu, however, said Beijing is likely to take a different position.

“China wants to remain reactive on the North Korea issue,” he said. “If there are no further provocative acts from North Korea, then there also may not be any further action from the US and China.”

Mr Liu said it is not clear if the two leaders would discuss the possibility of talks between the US and North Korea.

3. A more stable relationship with China

Mr Trump has played up his personal relationship with Mr Xi since their first meeting, but still criticised Beijing on trade and North Korea.

Mr Zhang said the US president is likely to seek greater stability with China in the interest of improving economic ties.

“Based on what the US needs from China in terms of achieving greater economic success, it is likely that Trump will keep his hands off the sensitive matters,” Mr Zhang said.

“Sino-US relations will only become more cooperative and less volatile.” SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST