bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Catherine Wong

When the first summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump goes ahead in Florida this week, it will set the stage for a clash of world views on a range of international issues from globalisation to free trade.
On globalisation
Trump’s America-first agenda and desire to reduce the US’ global leadership comes as China is extending its reach around the world.
Just a few days before Trump’s inauguration in January, Xi told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that “just blaming economic globalisation for the world’s problems is inconsistent with reality, and it will not help solve the problems”.
Don’t blame globalisation for world’s ills, Xi Jinping tells Davos
That contrasted with Trump’s inauguration speech pledge to put America’s interests first and bring jobs back to the United States.
“We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon,” Trump said.
On free trade and foreign investment
China has been expanding its global footprint with its Silk Road initiative and will host a major summit to realise the plans in Beijing in May. It is also leading the push for a free-trade deal between Asean and various countries under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership banner, and sent representatives to Chile for a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) meeting, triggering speculation that Beijing is angling to replace the US in the trans-Pacific trade deal.

At Davos, Xi said: “We must remain committed to promoting free trade and investment through opening up and say no to protectionism. Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. While wind and rain may be kept outside, so are light and air.”
Trump said the TPP was a close second to the North America Free Trade Agreement as the worst trade deal ever.
“For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry,” Trump said on the day he was sworn in as president. “One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind.”
On the European Union
Trump said Britain’s decision to leave the European Union was a “great thing”, calling the bloc a “vehicle of Germany” and has openly criticising German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her government’s openness to asylum seekers.
“I believe others will leave. I do think keeping it together is not going to be as easy as a lot of people think,” Trump said.

But ties between Europe and China have grown stronger, and Xi and other Chinese leaders have also stated clearly Beijing’s support for a united European Union.
“China hopes to see a prosperous Europe and a united EU, and hopes Britain, as an important member of the EU, can play an even more positive and constructive role in promoting the deepening development of China-EU ties,” Xi said on his trip to Britain in 2015.
On Middle East policy
China has limited its role in the Middle East and avoided taking sides in conflicts, despite its reliance on the region for oil. But China is stepping up engagement with Middle East nations recently.
“China and the Islamic countries have respected each other and carried out win-win cooperation for a long time, setting an example of harmonious coexistence of different civilizations,” Xi said when receiving Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on March 16.
The US, by contrast, has triggered controversies regarding the region. The Trump administration has imposed travel ban on seven Muslims majority countries.
On North Korea and security in Northeast Asia
North Korea is the Trump administration’s top security concern in East Asia.
China, which sees North Korea as a buffer zone against US military and political influence in Northeast Asia, has over the years resisted US demands to impose tougher sanctions on Pyongyang despite its increasingly aggressive nuclear and missile programme.
North Korea is behaving badly ... and China’s not helping, Donald Trump tweets
“North Korea is behaving very badly. They have been ‘playing’ the United States for years. China has done little to help!” Trump tweeted on March 17.
Chinese officials said Beijing did not want chaos in the Korean peninsula and called on Pyongyang to stop provocations, but insisted the nuclear issue should be settled through negotiation.


Why Trump’s no-show at East Asia Summit is a massive own goal

Chinese bank banned from operating in US over North Korea ties

Xi Jinping ‘wants to improve ties with North Korea’

US-China trade deal isn’t the breakthrough Trump claims, but it’s a start

Trump-Xi Jinping summit

Trump vs Xi: prepare for a clash of views on big global issues

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have contrasting views on a range of big issues. Photo: Kyodo

China's President Xi Jinping smiles to the audience after his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

A rainbow is seen behind European flags during a euro zone EU leaders emergency summit on the situation in Greece at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, July 7, 2015. REUTERS/Eric Vidal

The man behind the Xi-Trump summit

Chinese State Councillor for EU - CHINA High Level Strategic Dialogue Yang Jiechi looks on as he talks to the media.Photo: AFP PHOTO

U.S. State of Secretary, Rex Tillerson, center left, attends talks with China's President Xi Jinping, center right, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, March 19, 2017. The United States is looking forward to the first meeting between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Tillerson said Sunday, on the final day of a swing through Asia dominated by concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. At left is U.S. Secretary of State's Chief of Staff Margaret Peterlin and at right is China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi. (Lintao Zhang/Pool Photo via AP)

epa05239850 President of China Xi Jinping (L) enters with State Councilor of China Yang Jiechi (R) to attend the closing plenary session of the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, USA, 01 April 2016. US President Barack Obama is hosting world leaders in the wake of the Belgian attacks and new intelligence on terrorist knowledge of nuclear facilities and security lapses. EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS

Pictures of Tsai speaking with Trump over the phone. They are provided by the Presidential Office. According to presidential spokesman Alex Huang, the conversation took place at 11:06 to 11:18 pm Friday, and Tsai called Trump from Taipei after the two sides agreed to have the chat.

White House National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (C) arrives prior to a joint news conference between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 13, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

News

China

Diplomacy

When the first summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump goes ahead in Florida this week, it will set the stage for a clash of world views on a range of international issues from globalisation to free trade


Xi Jinping

Donald Trump

US-China relations

Trump vs Xi: prepare for a clash of views on big global issues

.css-jfmysa{display:inline;word-break:break-word;}.css-1ankfgb{cursor:pointer;display:inline;word-break:break-word;}Don’t blame globalisation for world’s ills, Xi Jinping tells Davos

Don’t blame globalisation for world’s ills, Xi Jinping tells Davos