Symbolism Vs Reality
As Trump wrapped up his visit to China on Friday, it’s important to note that there were a lot of words, from him but there was not a lot of substance. Words in a Summit, even if it’s touted by one member of it as the most important summit of our time, mean absolutely nothing unless they are backed up with Actions.
What actions are we talking about - When Carter agreed in 1978, the US would recognise China as one country and stop arming Taiwan he also agreed that the matter was an internal affair of China- nothing wrong with that but when he went home, his government created the Taiwan Relations Act, in 1979, meaning, it didn’t matter that Taiwan was an internal affair of China, the US government would override the president and do what they felt US laws allowed them to do - that has become a consistent red line that the US has, ever since that time, crept across and made problems for the Chinese people on both sides of the Strait.
We know how the president performs but China also knows how he can’t control his government, that wasn’t the first time China has been duped by great words and deeds from a president only to be thwarted by Senate and Congress a few months later.
Already Nikki Haley is online telling the world through social media* that Xi Jinping can’t tell the US how to conduct foreign policy and that China’s red line of Taiwan means nothing to her.
In that respect, China must already know that whatever the president said, the reality is different.
Trump claims to have arrived in China with the top global business leaders - and it’s fair to say, some of them are the richest but it’s a lot fairer to say that the top global business leaders are no longer all US, there are many of them in China. Back in 2020, the Fortune 500 recorded that China overtook the US in terms of the top businesses in the world, the number of banks in the top 10 are mostly Chinese, in fact, the numbers one two three and four banks in the world are all Chinese. By a long way, the number one telecommunications company in the world is Chinese and so it goes on.
In terms of production capacity, China blitzes the US, and every other country in the world with more production than the top 4 countries combined, and that includes the USA.
Marco Rubio said on the way to China that: “We’re not trying to constrain China — but their rise cannot come at our expense. Their rise cannot come at our fall... There is not and has never been a claim, an attempt or any other action by anyone in China’s government or military to push for the USA’s fall - in fact, many people, including unbelievably some seasoned journalists have reported with surprise that Xi Jinping. There’s a MAGA post on X a couple of days ago which, at the time I saw it had over 5.8 million views^ and in it the poster says: “BREAKING: President Xi stuns the room saying to Trump: “We should be partners, not rivals”
it goes on to say: “I NEVER in a million years would have thought Xi would say something like that”
Well I can only say it’s because you, and everyone else who is surprised by this statement are totally ignorant - and I mean that in a nice way, you’re ignorant in that you have no idea that he said the same to Biden, he said the same to Blinken, he also probably said the same to Obama and who knows who else has heard it from Xi’s lips, but if you want to know how he things, then read his books, he’s been saying this since he took office
In fact, the first recording of the statement related to this that I can find was as Vice President when he pledged to enhance bilateral ties with the United States while urging closer financial, economic and trade cooperation during a meeting with U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 13th 2010 - he’s definitely been saying this since then - but just to elaborate on the ignorance of people who couldn’t believe he would actually say something like that, please go look at the speech he made in the White House on February 2012 during his first visit to the United States as General Secretary of The Communist Party of China, where he delivered a speech titled “Working Together to Build a Better Tomorrow for China-U.S. partnership” in Washington D.C And, just to prove it, I’ve provided a link.
Trump touted there would be, or already has been agreements to invest billions but let’s be honest, those are words, not actions they are symbols and they are projections - just like when Bessent came to China last year and announced there would be deals for US farmers, there were not - you can’t have a Congress and a Senate making laws to make Chinese investments in the US fraught with danger, subject to McCarthyite investigations and at risk of seizure through laws passed by rabidly Anti-China lawmakers, many of whom come from Trumps own party and a President who welcomes Chinese investment working towards the same goals, it won’t work.
Global Times, Xinhua and People’s Daily all talk about a great reset moment - I’m a lot more cautious, I’ll be happy when Trump goes back to the US and orders his Party to support greater cooperation with China - he seems to know he needs it, his advisors do not always agree with him but let’s paraphrase Marco Rubio and see if we can correct his and many other US Administrator’s thinking - Rubio said, China’s rise cannot come at USA’s expense.
I actually do agree, as does Xi Jinping, China rise is inevitable, US decline is also just as inevitable but there’s no reason why, with cooperation, a reduction of suspicion and fear of the other side that the US can’t rise again in a peaceful manner - the only problem I see is that Trump doesn’t appear to be the man to pull it off, the visit this week had nothing but show, it was a performance.
Actions will dictate where this goes next and those actions must come from US lawmakers - China must be one or the other, USA’s enemy, or USA’s friend, being your friend doesn’t mean agreeing on everything but it does mean cooperation.
Remove sanctions, remove restrictions, show the world that Communism, without capitalist interference can and does actually work - stop fearing what you don’t know and learn to embrace the differences - China is not your enemy and has made it clear since at least 1976 that it is willing to be your friend.
What the USA has been doing for 70 years has taken it on a path of conflict - surely it’s time to try something else and following up on the words of the Summit in Beijing might just be a great start.
Trump said all the right words - now let’s see what actions will be taken...
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What Niki Haley stated about China not dictating USA policy would have regurgitated by Kamala Harris had she been elected POTUS (my opinion). It is kind of funny because the USA has countless times been dictating policies in other countries, overthrowing governments and installing their favoured leaders, invaded countries and calling those (BS) intervention efforts, etc. Ms. Haley is just another asshole hoping and waiting to become the next anti-China and colonialistic POTUS. She is no different than Rubio, Hegseth or Trump.
Indeed, ❤️👍💯
It's s actions that count, not empty words! And most of these despicable and foolish Western politicians are inherently Anti-China....
ps All the best for your amazing cycling trip! ❤️👍💯