US President Donald Trump’s unconventional practices in politics and economics is a rare opportunity for China to rebuild strategic mutual trust with the US, said Xiang Lanxin, professor of international history and politics at the Graduate Institute, Geneva, writing for
Lianhe Zaobao, the Singapore-based Chinese-language newspaper.
Former US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg proposed the idea of “strategic reassurance” in 2009 to promote mutual trust between China and US. But Barack Obama adopted the “Pivot to Asia” strategy, which proposed containing China’s rise and ended up creating a decade-long trust crisis between the two countries, according to Xiang.
Trump practices diplomacy as if a deal, Xiang said. He laid his cards on the table, which enabled Chinese leaders to soon understand his intention and start rebuilding trust. Trump’s upcoming visit to China is expected to focus on trade and North Korea issues. The president is unlikely to discuss general strategies, the scholar said, suggesting that China should also refrain from emphasizing big ideas.
Xiang believes the US trade deficit to China, which has significantly decreased this year, has never been Trump’s real concern. His true intention is to pressure overseas capital to flow back to the US to boost the local economy and increase employment. As long as China responds actively to Trump’s reasonable demands, such as cutting the overcapacity of steel, the scholar believes, a trade war between the two countries is perfectly avoidable.
Xiang believes Trump’s political prospects are not to be underestimated. Although many of his unconventional practices have met with backlashes from the political elite in the US, as a businessman, Trump is believed to be unafraid of breaking the existing order and perfectly capable of chaotic management. If Republican elites continue to be cooperative, the scholar predicted, Trump is likely to found a new party and completely change the rules of US political games.
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