US president Donald Trump’s two-day sojourn in Beijing, billed as a “state visit plus” by Communist Party mouthpieces in China, has been cheered enthusiastically by the same organs on the day the real-estate billionaire jetted off on the next leg of his five-nation Asian tour.
“Whether it is the special arrangement of ‘state visit plus’, or the close interaction between the heads of state of the two countries, or the ‘super big bill’ signed in the field of economy and trade, all these will unleash the positive signal of strengthening mutual beneficial cooperation between the two countries, and inject powerful positive energy to the peace, prosperity and stability of the region and the world,” Xinhua gushed in a commentary piece on Thursday.
During his two-day visit, Trump oversaw the signing of business deals worth US$250 billion in fields such as liquefied natural gas, automobiles and aircrafts.
“In marking his one-year anniversary, Trump has pleasantly surprised many who a year ago were deeply worried about a trade war between the two countries given his harsh campaign rhetoric,” wrote Chen Weihua, deputy editor of the China Daily’s US edition, in a commentary piece on Friday. “Today, few are worried about this anymore despite the fact that trade frictions might increase as the two largest economies become more interdependent.”
Chen added: “Trump has also surprised many for his relatively good handling of the US-China relations, including forging a close working and personal relationship with President Xi Jinping.”
In response to Trump’s statement that China was “not to blame for [America’s] trade deficit [with China] and taking advantage of Washington,” The Global Times said in an editorial on Thursday evening Trump “will gradually understand why the US has a trade deficit with China after looking into the actual situation of Sino-US trade.”
It added: “China isn’t to blame, and the US should appreciate China’s efforts to reduce the trade deficit by buying more American products.”
Other than sounding agreement on business and trade matters, Xi also emphasized the importance of diplomatic security to the Sino-US relationship, as The People’s Daily chose to highlight on its front page. “The Taiwan issue is the most important and sensitive core issue in Sino-US relations, as well as the political base for the two countries,” it stressed, noting that Xi had urged the US to continue to abide by the one-China principle.
On the North Korean nuclear issue, Xinhua said in a commentary that China and the United States should work together, along with others, rather than against one other, in seeking to cool the situation.
“A diplomatic settlement is in line with the vital stakes of all relevant parties, including China and the United States,” it said. “Unchecked hostile policies, harsh rhetoric and military muscle flexing would offset any effort to reignite the hope for a genuine negotiation.”
The visit came two weeks after Xi Jinping was elected as general secretary of the Communist Party of China for the second time.
Trump is now visiting Vietnam before a final stop in Asia, in the Philippines. He will fly back to the US on Tuesday.
What a fool this Trump is. He loves the attention, loves being around powerful autocrats, which he imagines himself to be, loves the cake. Xi can run rings around him mentally and I’m sure took full advantage.
President Trump did not become a billionaire in one of the toughest real estate markets in the world, New York City, by being a fool. Trump understands the importance of the economy and jobs. Over 250 billiion dollars in trade agreements signed by the President will create a lot of jobs thus spurring the US economy. This is the President’s primary focus right now. All the criticism and political postureing will not matter and will pale next to economic success. This is the key to US strength and stability.
So Trump made sure all those agreements were advantageous to the US, unlike those signed during previous administrations? Is that what you’re saying?