Topline
President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held a two-hour long summit meeting in Beijing on Thursday, which began with Trump heaping praise on Xi and calling “great leader,” while the Chinese president called for greater cooperation between the two sides and cautioned against mishandling the Taiwan issue.
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Associated Press
Key Facts
Ahead of the meeting, Trump was greeted by Xi at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People after receiving a guard of honor from the Chinese military, a 21-gun salute and a group of children waving the two countries’ flags and flower bouquets.
Xi delivered the opening remarks after the two leaders sat down for the summit, noting that the world is in the midst of “turbulence and transformation,” and that the two countries must work together to “meet challenges and bring greater stability to the world.”
In his opening remarks, Trump lavished praise on Xi and said, “You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true,” and highlighted the phone calls made to each other “whenever we had a problem” and worked it out “quickly.”
Trump also boasted about the business delegation traveling with him, calling them the “biggest” and “greatest,” and claimed that he asked the top 30 to join him and “every single one” said yes.
The president added that the business leaders were here to “pay respects” to Xi and to China.
What Is The Thucydides Trap And Why Did Xi Mention It?
In his opening remarks, Xi asked if China and the U.S. will be able to overcome the “Thucydides Trap” and establish a new model for ties between two great powers. The phrase “Thucydides Trap” was popularized by Harvard professor and political scientist Graham Allison that draws a parallel between the U.S.—China rivalry and historical clash between Athens and Sparta. The theory suggests that the rapid rise of a emergent power—like China today and Athens in the past—can draw a established power—like the U.S. today or Sparta in the past—into an inevitable conflict. In an op-ed outlining this more than a decade and half ago, Allison urged leaders of both countries to talk to each other “much more candidly about likely confrontations and flash points,” and make “substantial adjustments to accommodate the irreducible requirements of the other.”
Xi’s Warning To Trump About Taiwan
According to Chinese state media, during the summit meeting Xi told Trump that the Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, could end up being flash point between Beijing and Washington. “Xi told Trump that if it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability,” Xinhua reported. The Chinese president, however, warned that if the issue is mishandled it will lead to “clashes and even conflicts,” that put the U.S.-China’s “entire relationship in great jeopardy.” He also added that the concept of Taiwanese independence and regional peace are “are as irreconcilable as fire and water.”
This is a developing story.
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