United States President Donald Trump has departed China following a three-day trip, touting several broad trade deals but suggesting little progress on key issues related to Taiwan or the US-Israeli war in Iran.
Trump’s visit, the first of his second term, was filled with pomp and circumstance, including a greeting from waving children and a military honor guard, a private tour of a secretive former imperial garden, and the Confucian 15th-century Temple of Heaven.
By the end, both sides characterized the visit as a success, even if their accounts of what was agreed to varied. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he and Xi discussed Taiwan, with China’s leader allegedly telling him he opposed independence for the self-governing island Beijing claims as its own.
“I heard him out. I didn’t make a comment,” Trump said. “I made no commitment either way.” Shortly after greeting Trump, Xi had called Taiwan the most “important issue in China-US relations,” warning of potential collision if mishandled.
Trump told reporters he had not made a decision on US arms sales to Taiwan, an issue with deep support in Congress that Beijing vehemently opposes. “I think the last thing we need right now is a war that’s 9,500 miles away,” he said. Taiwan’s foreign minister said Taipei would seek to deepen ties with the US, citing increasing regional “risks.”
On Iran, Trump said he and Xi spoke at length about the US-Israeli war and their shared desire for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened. Some Trump administration officials have called on Beijing to use its leverage over Tehran to help break a deadlock in ceasefire negotiations, though the president downplayed the issue. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave little indication that China’s approach had changed.
Trump concluded his visit touting a series of “fantastic trade deals,” including China allegedly agreeing to buy 200 jets from Boeing and potentially more US oil and farm goods. However, further details were not immediately released, and China’s official statement did not mention new agreements. Both sides agreed to establish a trade council and an investment council, but tariffs were not discussed.
Source: www.aljazeera.com