Tensions mount ahead of Donald Trump’s summit meeting with Xi Jinping as China hawks circle in Osaka

Presidents are known for having a good personal relationship, but there is little love lost between China’s state media and US officials

Beijing expected to name an unchanged line-up for negotiating team in show of solidarity and strength, analyst says

Reading Time:4 minutes

The US team for Donald Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping is likely to be full of China hawks, like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (second right). Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:09pm, 28 Jun 2019Updated: 12:31pm, 29 Jun 2019

As the countdown begins to the high-stakes summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump on Saturday in Japan, speculation is rising as to who might be in the room when the leaders of the world’s two largest economies sit down together.

Sources said earlier that the two sides had already reached tentative agreements on how to move towards a solution to their year-long trade war, although the Trump administration has not ruled out imposing tariffs on a further US$300 billion worth of Chinese products.

While the agreement to hold the meeting – on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka – is a clear sign of the presidents’ intent, how well the talks actually go is likely to depend on the atmosphere around the negotiating table. And that could hinge not on the interaction between Xi and Trump, but between the members of their respective teams.

While neither side has made public who will be accompanying their leaders, Chinese state media made it clear this week what it thought of at least one of the possible US candidates.

A commentary piece published by tabloid newspaper Global Times on Tuesday took the unusual step of attacking US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by name, describing him as “the source of all chaos” in international affairs and a “crazy” person who is not worthy of any respect.