New Delhi:
America’s newly elected President Donald Trump has made many key appointments in his cabinet. The eyes of the world are fixed on his cabinet. One reason for this is which country will get what attention during Trump’s tenure. To some extent, this will also depend on the working style of the people in his cabinet. The thing to be noted in this would be which minister is a supporter of which country. It is obvious that countries around the world are keeping a close eye on the appointments Trump is making. It is not hidden from anyone how tense the relations between America and China are. This time, many speculations are being made about what kind of relations China will have with America during Trump’s tenure. Trump was very strict towards China in his first term, hence it is expected that Trump will again adopt the same strategy which he had done earlier.
Biden and Xi Jinping meet
There was a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. This will probably be the last meeting between the two leaders. Trump’s goal of reducing tensions before his inauguration has become challenging due to new disputes over cyber crime, trade, Taiwan and Russia. The White House said that Biden and Xi held talks for the first time in seven months, which took place in Lima, Peru during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Saturday that he is ready to work with the new administration of Donald Trump for changes in bilateral relations. The Chinese President said, “China is willing to maintain dialogue with the new America, expand cooperation, and work to overcome differences, so as to make efforts for the transformation of China-US relations.”
What issues were discussed between the two leaders?
Xi Jinping and Joe Biden have led efforts to ease tensions on issues ranging from trade to Taiwan, and Saturday’s face-to-face meeting was their second since their summit in California last year. This was their third meeting overall. Joe Biden said that he is very proud of the progress we have made in our talks together. Both countries cannot turn this competition into conflict, it is our responsibility and in the last four years I think we have proved that this relationship is possible.
Will Trump’s return deepen the gap?
Trump’s return and appointments to top positions with a tough attitude towards China have given rise to fears that tensions between the two countries may increase again. In his first White House term, Trump engaged in a fierce trade war with China, imposing tariffs on imports. To which Beijing also gave a strong reply. Donald Trump has once again indicated a confrontational approach towards Beijing. During the campaign against Democrat Kamala Harris, Trump has threatened to impose tariffs of up to 60 percent on the import of Chinese goods, in such a situation China’s troubles are sure to increase.
What did Xi Jinping say in the meeting
Xi Jinping said that China and the United States should keep in mind the interests of the entire world and inject more certainty and positive energy into the turbulent world. US officials had said the two leaders would also discuss tensions over Taiwan – which China considers part of its territory – and the South China Sea. Where Beijing claims a large part of the maritime area. The high-profile meeting took place after the conclusion of the two-day summit of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group, which was attended by both Xi Jinping and Biden. Before their meeting, the two participated in a closed-door “retreat” with other APEC leaders from countries including Canada, Chile, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and Japan.
Will anything change with Trump’s return?
Trump’s return has cast a cloud of uncertainty over some major meetings and the same will happen over the G20 leaders’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro next week. Joe Biden said that the world has entered a period of significant political change. He tried to strengthen ties with key US allies, including Japan and South Korea, at the APEC summit. Trump’s return threatens the alliances built by Joe Biden on issues ranging from wars in Ukraine and the Middle East to climate change and trade. Meanwhile, economists have warned that Trump’s tariffs will harm not only China’s economy but also America and its trading partners. Trump is also negatively impacting Joe Biden’s policies on climate change, in which he has threatened to abandon international agreements and increase drilling for fossil fuels. Biden will become the first US president to visit the Amazon rainforest when he stops in the Brazilian city of Manaus on Sunday on his way to Rio for the G-20 meeting, where Xi Jinping is also visiting.
What was the discussion on nuclear weapons?
According to the White House, Joe Biden met Xi Jinping on Saturday afternoon and reached an agreement that decisions on the use of nuclear weapons should be made by humans, not artificial intelligence. It is believed that this was the last meeting between the two leaders before Donald Trump became the US President. Earlier, both of them met in a hotel on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Peru, where both the leaders were seen shaking hands with each other. The two leaders also stressed the need to carefully consider the potential risks and develop AI technology in the military sector in a prudent and responsible manner.
The two countries resumed official-level talks on nuclear weapons in November, but those talks have since been stalled, with a top US official publicly expressing frustration about China’s response. Despite US concerns about China’s rapid nuclear weapons buildup, formal nuclear arms control talks are not expected to take place anytime soon. During the election campaign, Trump took an aggressive stance towards China, promising to increase tariffs on Chinese imports to 60%. Trump has also promised to end Russia’s war in Ukraine within 24 hours, which some fear could mean military aid to Ukraine would be reduced.
Prominent faces in Trump cabinet are against China
Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Republican Representative Mike Waltz have got key positions in the Trump cabinet. The stance of both of them has been strict towards China. Earlier this month, Jinping congratulated Trump for his election victory and said that their two countries should work together in the new era. American officials are concerned about an FBI investigation in recent weeks, which showed that the Chinese government tried to hack American networks to steal information about American government employees and politicians. Officials said last month that China-linked operations targeted the phones of Kamala Harris’s staff as well as those of Trump and his running mate JD Vance.
