ترمب يغازل الصين باتفاق «غير مسبوق» في آسيا

Just a few days before the anticipated summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Donald Trump, tensions between the two largest economies in the world escalated to an unprecedented level, threatening to undermine any hopes for a near-term trade agreement. However, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed today (Thursday) that he expects to reach significant agreements with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their upcoming meeting in South Korea next week. The discussions will include the resumption of Beijing's purchases of American soybeans, potential agreements on nuclear arms reduction, as well as discussions on China's purchase of Russian oil and ending the war in Ukraine.

In a move described by experts as the strongest in years, China announced it would tighten restrictions on the export of rare metals that are essential for technological industries worldwide, which surprised Washington and prompted it to respond with a series of countermeasures, including threatening to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese goods if negotiations fail. In remarks from the Oval Office, Trump described China's restrictions on rare metal exports as merely an "annoyance" compared to the tariffs imposed by the United States, which he considers more impactful. He added that he is optimistic about resolving the issues faced by American farmers who have been significantly affected by the decline in Chinese purchases of soybeans.

While U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Pruitt and U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer seek to ease tensions with China during their meetings in Malaysia, Washington is preparing to impose further restrictions on technology exports to China if no agreement is reached. The officials confirmed that the restrictions imposed by China on rare metals are "impractical" and represent an aggressive escalation.

Will the summit succeed?

In this context, Wu Xinbo, director of the American Studies Center at Fudan University, clarified that China believes "negotiations alone are insufficient, and that countermeasures are necessary to prevent Washington from exerting pressure," emphasizing that Beijing is adopting a more stringent approach to economic dealings during Trump's second term.

Meanwhile, Corey Combs, an expert at the consulting firm Trivium China, pointed out that the new restrictions represent "a massive expansion of Chinese jurisdiction beyond its borders," directly targeting many technology chips, a move that highlights China's ambition to dominate vital supply chains.

Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, confirmed that the challenges in negotiations stem from an exaggerated mutual confidence, as Chinese officials express confidence in their economy, while Americans believe that the Chinese economy is suffering from weakness.

Former Biden administration official for international economics Peter Harrell sees the best available scenario as taking confidence-building measures that could pave the way for a potential agreement in the first half of next year, despite the current deteriorating atmosphere.

These developments come amid rising tensions between the two largest economies in the world, as the United States prepares to impose new tariffs of 100% on some Chinese products starting in November. Nevertheless, Trump and his team assert that they are not seeking a complete separation from China, but rather a rebalancing of trade relations that have long suffered from unfair Chinese policies.

Trump plans to visit Malaysia to attend the ASEAN summit, then Japan to meet with the new Prime Minister, and finally South Korea to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.