https://www.scmp.com/rss/324196/feed US President Donald Trump will host Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a summit in Palm Beach, Florida, in April. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Back in November 2011, former US President Barack Obama travelled to Bali in Indonesia and became the first US leader to take part in an Association of Southeast Asian Nations-hosted East Asia Summit. At the time, observers in the region welcomed the move, which roughly coincided with the start of the administration’s thinking which stressed that Asia’s role in US foreign policy was central in the 21st century. The Obama administration used the summit as one of the launch pads for its “pivot” to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2118243/why-trumps-no-show-east-asia-summit-massive-own-goal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2118243/why-trumps-no-show-east-asia-summit-massive-own-goal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Nov 2017 04:00:15 +0000 The United States excluded China’s Bank of Dandong from its financial system on Thursday, alleging that it has helped North Korea evade financial sanctions to launder funds. Washington had alerted other businesses in June that it planned to take the action, but it finally went into effect just as US President Donald Trump was to set off on an Asian tour. The US leader has demanded that Beijing do more to push its neighbour North Korea to stop efforts to build a nuclear-armed missile capable of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2118225/chinese-bank-banned-operating-us-over-north-korea-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2118225/chinese-bank-banned-operating-us-over-north-korea-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Nov 2017 02:05:43 +0000 President Xi Jinping has replied to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s message of congratulations after the Communist Party congress, with the Chinese leader saying he is hoping to improve ties between the two nations, according to North Korean state media. The message comes as US President Donald Trump is about to start his first trip to Asia while in office, with North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme likely to be high on his agenda. Details of Xi’s message were reported by North Korea’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2118082/xi-jinping-wants-improve-ties-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2118082/xi-jinping-wants-improve-ties-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Nov 2017 04:20:18 +0000 A much-heralded US-China trade deal has sent the clearest signal yet of warming between the world’s two most influential nations. The deal, which follows the Mar-a-Lago summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping (習近平), has been hailed as “an early harvest” of the 100-day plan that Xi proposed to Trump in an effort to address the huge trade imbalance between the world’s two largest economies, something that has long caused friction between them. Analysts see... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2096642/us-china-trade-deal-isnt-breakthrough-trump-claims-its-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2096642/us-china-trade-deal-isnt-breakthrough-trump-claims-its-start?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jun 2017 06:00:30 +0000 When the first summit between presidents Xi Jinping (習近平) and Barack Obama took place in June 2013, there was an interesting photo of them walking side by side at the picturesque Rancho Mirage in California, in striking resemblance to the strides of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. Back then, the Sino-US relationship actually resembled the pleasant relationship between Pooh and Tigger. This time round, at the meeting in Florida, although US President Donald Trump does not have a figure as slim as... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2089574/china-and-us-must-narrow-trade-gap-boosting-trade-rather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2089574/china-and-us-must-narrow-trade-gap-boosting-trade-rather?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Apr 2017 05:00:30 +0000 Given the critical tone towards China that was evident in US President Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric, it might have appeared a far-fetched notion that a few months into a Trump presidency China-US economic relations would still be on an even keel and the broader outlook for the Chinese economy seem relatively rosy. But such is the case. The Florida summit between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping appears to have gone smoothly. Indeed only last week Trump, who had previously been... https://www.scmp.com/business/global-economy/article/2088411/why-gloom-dealmaker-trump-pivots-china-and-things-are?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/global-economy/article/2088411/why-gloom-dealmaker-trump-pivots-china-and-things-are?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Apr 2017 02:13:59 +0000 Predicting the outcome of major summits is not an exact science. And the Mar-a-Lago huddle between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump is no different. Summits, as Henry Kissinger would say, embody “high politics”, by way of the history-altering dynamics they unleash. In case of Mar-a-Lago, a 100-day programme has been rolled out to improve Sino-US trade, four channels have been formed to discuss security, economic policy, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2087428/trump-and-xi-sherpas-not-summits-make-difference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2087428/trump-and-xi-sherpas-not-summits-make-difference?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Apr 2017 11:03:14 +0000 US President Donald Trump said he once thought Beijing had more than enough power to rein in North Korea, but changed his mind after talks last week with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Recounting his meeting with Xi in Florida and an hour-long phone call on Wednesday, Trump told The Wall Street Journal that he had “great chemistry” with the Chinese leader, a reversal of his previous anti-China rhetoric. China’s nuclear get-out clause over defence of North Korea “We like each other. I like... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2087518/10-minutes-xi-jinping-changed-donald-trumps-mind-north?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2087518/10-minutes-xi-jinping-changed-donald-trumps-mind-north?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Apr 2017 15:30:00 +0000 US President Donald Trump informed the Chinese President Xi Jinping that he had launched missile strikes on Syria as the pair ate “the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you have ever seen”, the US president has claimed. In an interview with Fox Business, Trump offered his first account of how he had broken the news to Xi as they dined at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida at the start of a two-day bridge-building summit last Thursday. “I was sitting at the table. We had finished dinner.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2087172/trump-told-xi-syria-strikes-over-beautiful-piece?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2087172/trump-told-xi-syria-strikes-over-beautiful-piece?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Apr 2017 16:17:20 +0000 China is likely to import more American meat, including pork and beef, and allow more Hollywood movies to be shown on the mainland in the coming months to show that Beijing is taking steps to cut its trade surplus with the United States, a Chinese government researcher said. Mei Xinyu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, a think tank under the Ministry of Commerce, said China may also buy more oil and natural gas from the US as concessions in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2087010/china-allow-more-hollywood-movies-appease-trump-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2087010/china-allow-more-hollywood-movies-appease-trump-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Apr 2017 06:00:45 +0000 It is hard to know how to assess the just-concluded Mar-a-Lago summit between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping (習近平). Should one feel exulted that an interpersonal train wreck was avoided between the two leaders, each of whom is hypersensitive about “face”? Should one feel despondent that, with so many issues crying out for cooperation, the two sides were unable to achieve and announce any significant, tangible outcomes? Or, should we sift through the detritus of the 21-hour event with... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086646/xi-jinping-and-donald-trump-still-need-find-strategic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086646/xi-jinping-and-donald-trump-still-need-find-strategic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Apr 2017 08:31:56 +0000 China is facing the urgent task of engaging North Korea and bringing it back to the negotiating table with the United States to resolve Pyongyang’s nuclear crisis following initial talks between the Chinese and US leaders, observers say. No breakthrough in dealing with Pyongyang’s nuclear development programme, an issue that was expected to dominate discussions in the first face-to-face meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086058/china-key-bringing-north-korea-back-negotiating-table?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086058/china-key-bringing-north-korea-back-negotiating-table?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Apr 2017 07:03:27 +0000 The American missile strike against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad might have overshadowed the first summit between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. But Beijing probably welcomed that. For the two events clearly demonstrate two things: firstly, that the US has far too many interests and agendas it needs help with from a friendly China, and secondly that Russia is not America’s friend, but a rival, if not an outright enemy. The Assad regime has become Russia’s most important client... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086516/donald-trump-has-finally-realised-he-needs-china-friend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086516/donald-trump-has-finally-realised-he-needs-china-friend?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2017 17:06:22 +0000 Everything is difficult at the beginning, a matter-of-fact Chinese saying goes. That was certainly the case before President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump started their two-day summit at the American leader’s Florida estate. But after dinner, social time and seven hours of talks, during which they got to know and understand one another better, months of uncertainty for China were largely removed and replaced by ways to cooperate and handle challenges. It is proof of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086513/xi-trump-summit-has-laid-firm-foundation-future-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086513/xi-trump-summit-has-laid-firm-foundation-future-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2017 16:43:41 +0000 Last week, the 45th president of the United States paid proper tribute to the People’s Republic of China – which, by the way, would have been a whirlwind week for the Trump administration even without the big-deal dinner for leader Xi Jinping (習近平). And though the summit venue was the annoyingly opulent tuhao-class Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, it was otherwise calming on the nerves to observe our often off-key Donald Trump saying and doing, for once, the right thing. Trump was in celebrity... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086380/why-us-needs-china-succeed-and-vice-versa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086380/why-us-needs-china-succeed-and-vice-versa?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2017 09:02:43 +0000 The summit between the world’s two most powerful leaders was surprisingly amicable and constructive. Both sides managed to stick to the script, projecting a shared commitment to responsibly manage their relations. US President Donald Trump and his Chinese guest, President Xi Jinping, seemed cordial, subdued and focused on the difficult task of navigating the most consequential bilateral relationship of the century. The meeting was also partly overshadowed by the White House’s decision to bombard... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086242/opinion-xi-and-trump-learn-split-difference-trade-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086242/opinion-xi-and-trump-learn-split-difference-trade-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 16:04:24 +0000 Mainland state media are portraying President Xi Jinping as a strong leader who managed to stabilise China-US relations during two days of meetings with his US counterpart Donald Trump in Florida. But some analysts say the real importance of last week’s summit was in building Xi’s political portfolio ahead of this autumn’s keynote 19th Communist Party congress. Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said in an editorial on Sunday that the Chinese president’s first meeting with Trump at the latter’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2086241/summit-trump-sends-message-home-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2086241/summit-trump-sends-message-home-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 16:00:15 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping’s two-day visit to US President Donald Trump’s over-the-top estate at Mar-a-Lago in Florida was meant to offer an opportunity to showcase China as an equal to the United States. Xi would ideally have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Trump, amid all the pomp and ostentatious kitsch of what Trump has called his ‘Winter White House’, and impressed on the US administration that China’s long-sought reality of a ‘G2’ of sorts with the United States was now a fait accompli... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086146/summit-was-not-quite-meeting-equals-xi-would-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086146/summit-was-not-quite-meeting-equals-xi-would-have?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 05:49:40 +0000 US President Donald Trump has reached out to South Korea’s government to build solidarity with Seoul on his approach to North Korea and Syria amid differences between Washington and Beijing on both issues. Trump “reaffirmed the strength of the United States–Republic of Korea alliance and agreed to stay in close touch regarding North Korea and other issues of mutual concern,” according to a statement released by the White House. Trump also thanked Acting President Hwang for his support for the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2086136/donald-trump-reaches-out-seoul-support-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2086136/donald-trump-reaches-out-seoul-support-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 01:17:24 +0000 The world of summit diplomacy is often one of warm words in public, tough talk behind the scenes. And the two-day effort by US President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping (習近平) at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida was no exception. Possibly the most watchable diplomatic drama of the year, it featured the leaders of the world’s two largest economies and most influential nations. The keenest of observers will have been watching not only what was said, but (more importantly) what was not... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2086073/said-and-unsaid-hits-and-misses-xi-trump-talks-mar-lago?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2086073/said-and-unsaid-hits-and-misses-xi-trump-talks-mar-lago?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 12:45:30 +0000 The armed forces of China and the United States will set up a new dialogue mechanism as a further step to minimise military confrontation. President Xi Jinping said both sides should make full use of the soon-to-be-established dialogue between the joint staffs of the two countries’ armed forces. Both militaries should also “improve the existing notification mechanism on military action and the code of unexpected encounters between their navies and air forces”, state-run Xinhua quoted Xi as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086067/china-and-us-agree-top-military-talks-head-close-armed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086067/china-and-us-agree-top-military-talks-head-close-armed?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 11:54:21 +0000 Whilst many people are analysing the political minutiae of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Mar-A-Lago meeting with US President Donald Trump, others are focused on the high-profile women by their sides. Despite airstrikes in Syria, like it or not, people still obsess over the two superpower’s first ladies and their fashion. Each time Xi’s wife Peng Liyuan makes a public appearance, Chinese netizens take to social media in droves to comment on her appearance – most writing elaborate praise and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086039/observers-praise-chinese-first-ladys-fashion-choices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086039/observers-praise-chinese-first-ladys-fashion-choices?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 11:30:30 +0000 When two strong-willed leaders sit down for their first meeting, each armed with a long list of hot button issues to argue and fight about, there are two likely outcomes. The less favourable one is that the two fail to strike a chord and decide to go for the jugular. Such a bad start could have dire consequences not only for both sides but for the world. The preferred one is that after sizing each other up, each decides the other is someone they can work with to put in a new framework to handle... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2086059/xi-trump-summit-no-winners-or-losers-mar-lago-prized-first-step?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2086059/xi-trump-summit-no-winners-or-losers-mar-lago-prized-first-step?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 11:15:30 +0000 As President Xi Jinping touched down in Palm Beach, Florida, in the early afternoon of April 6 for his first face-to-face encounter with the brash and flamboyant American president, US-China relations were poised in a state of suspended animation. Four questions loomed over the gathering at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s officially designated ‘Winter White House’. First, would Donald Trump be an exception to the presidential rule on America’s China policy? For four decades and counting, US presidential... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2086052/xi-and-trumps-message-mar-lago-yes-we-can?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2086052/xi-and-trumps-message-mar-lago-yes-we-can?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 10:15:45 +0000 Taiwan breathed a sigh of relief at not being mentioned during the just concluded summit between leaders of two of the world’s major powers – the United States and China. But such relief is only temporary and served to lengthen the uncertainty looming over relations between Washington, Beijing and Taipei, making it harder for Taipei to decide its next step in its relations with the United States or the mainland, according to analysts. During their two-day summit at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086034/taiwan-relieved-it-was-not-agenda-xi-trump-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086034/taiwan-relieved-it-was-not-agenda-xi-trump-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 07:39:32 +0000 The Mar-a-Lago summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping ( 習近平 ) was long on generalities and atmospherics and short on specifics. But, while one would be justified to withhold judgment until it can be seen how various sweeping statements about the resolution of problems and establishment of consulting mechanisms pan out in practice, it would be premature to dismiss these characterisations and arrangements as meaningless. The United States and China have every reason to want not only to manage... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2086035/xi-trump-mar-lago-summit-beyond-sweet-nothings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2086035/xi-trump-mar-lago-summit-beyond-sweet-nothings?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 07:23:57 +0000 The leaders of China and the United States wrapped up their much-anticipated summit with both saying the talks put Sino-US ties on a good track – despite the bumpy diplomatic ride since US President Donald Trump’s election. The meeting on Friday yielded a bold commitment to address trade disputes and elevate their discussions, but a chasm remains over North Korea. The outcomes are symbolic but better than anticipated – Trump dropped his anti-China rhetoric, enabling President Xi Jinping to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086030/xi-trump-summit-beats-expectations-chinas-leader-making?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086030/xi-trump-summit-beats-expectations-chinas-leader-making?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 07:00:15 +0000 US President Donald Trump’s young granddaughter had her Mandarin-speaking skills put to the test in front of China’s top leader on Friday. Five-year-old Arabella Kushner serenaded President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan with a popular Chinese folk song and recited Chinese poetry for them during their visit at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. With her was her three-year-old brother, Joseph Kushner. Arabella and Joseph are the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2086029/trumps-granddaughter-diplomacy-arabella-5-sings-and-recites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/2086029/trumps-granddaughter-diplomacy-arabella-5-sings-and-recites?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 06:00:45 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping was able to take in views of the natural beauty Alaska has to offer on Friday night. The state’s governor hopes this will lead to an increased appetite in the world’s most populous nation for more natural resources from the sparsely populated state to the northwest of Canada. Xi requested time with Governor Bill Walker on Friday night as the Chinese delegation’s plane made a refuelling stop in Alaska’s largest city following meetings with President Donald Trump in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2086021/chinas-xi-stops-alaska-after-summit-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2086021/chinas-xi-stops-alaska-after-summit-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 04:40:18 +0000 President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump have concluded their two-day talks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. During the visit, Trump ditched his trademark anti-China bombast, hailing the “tremendous progress” made in Sino-US relations and saying he had developed a friendship with Xi. Both sides pledged to deepen bilateral ties and reached consensus on several thorny issues. Analysing the statements released by the two sides after the event, we give you a summary of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086017/your-quick-guide-outcomes-landmark-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086017/your-quick-guide-outcomes-landmark-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 03:53:02 +0000 China and the US have wrapped up their two-day presidential summit with a bold 100-day plan to tackle their trade disputes and explore new ways to enhance military dialogue. But the two sides appeared to be at odds over how to deal with North Korea, even though both agreed to rein in the reclusive state’s nuclear weapons programme. US sends message to North Korea with missile strike on Syria US President Donald Trump dropped his anti-China rhetoric during talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086011/xi-trump-agree-trade-military-talks-appear-odds-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2086011/xi-trump-agree-trade-military-talks-appear-odds-over?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 02:15:30 +0000 Xi Jinping’s meeting with America’s volatile new president promises some measure of clarity as to how the North Korean issue will play out between Beijing and Washington in the coming years. By now, most readers will have formed strong views about US threats of a pre-emptive strike on North Korea, or the unavoidable controversy over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system and its attendant strategic and commercial anxieties. But less clear than either of these rather... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085850/opinion-trump-and-xi-jinping-are-impasse-how-deal-north?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085850/opinion-trump-and-xi-jinping-are-impasse-how-deal-north?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 01:36:07 +0000 China’s President Xi Jinping and his delegation left US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida after agreeing to cooperate on trade initiatives and efforts to denuclearize North Korea. Xi also clinched a plan to have his American counterpart visit China later this year. The 24-hour visit defied expectations among some analysts that a meeting so soon into Trump’s tenure risked damaging relations between the world’s two largest economies. “The two leaders had positive... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2085954/trump-tells-xi-syrian-missile-strikes-over-dinner-mar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2085954/trump-tells-xi-syrian-missile-strikes-over-dinner-mar?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 18:45:30 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the door for new dialogue between China and the United States on many of their thorniest issues – ­including trade and ­cybersecurity – on the first day of his summit with US President Donald Trump, who welcomed him warmly as a friend. Xi’s proposal for four parallel consultation mechanisms would replace the now-defunct Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) which helped contain divergent and often conflicting interests between the two nations through regular... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085889/china-suggests-new-platform-regular-dialogue-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085889/china-suggests-new-platform-regular-dialogue-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 16:03:35 +0000 Surprisingly, there was no awkward moment at all. A five-second handshake, praise for the guest’s wife, introduction of cute grandchildren and talks of friendship – it was all there from US President Donald Trump on Thursday. He behaved just like an experienced politician would towards another state leader. Despite all Trump’s previous harsh comments on China, his first meeting with President Xi Jinping has so far been cordial. What had worried the Chinese the most – the TV reality-show star’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085888/trump-minds-his-manners-smiling-xi-florida-retreat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085888/trump-minds-his-manners-smiling-xi-florida-retreat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 15:47:38 +0000 Washington’s air strikes against the Syrian government while US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping dined in Florida would serve not only as a warning to the unruly North Korean regime, but also pile pressure on Pyongyang’s ally Beijing, diplomatic and military experts say. Rising tensions over North Korea’s accelerated nuclear armament programme are expected to top the summit agenda for both leaders, especially at their formal meeting on Friday. US urges China to take... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085811/us-sends-message-north-korea-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085811/us-sends-message-north-korea-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 11:30:00 +0000 In 92BC, two superpowers of the ancient world met for the first time. Heading the Roman delegation was Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, better known as Sulla. From Parthia came Orobazus, representing Mithridates II, the King of Kings. The meeting took place near the Euphrates River held by Parthia. The two sides were to discuss how to settle for the kingdom of Cappadocia – a buffer state between the giants. Sulla, the future dictator of Rome, ordered three chairs to be brought out – one for the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2085382/how-trump-xi-talks-mar-lago-were-influenced-word-was-said?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2085382/how-trump-xi-talks-mar-lago-were-influenced-word-was-said?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 09:04:50 +0000 The US military strike against Syria has overshadowed the first face-to-face meeting between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump, but it may take the heat off the Trump administration to act tougher in talks with China, observers said. The US attacked a Syrian airbase with a barrage of cruise missiles as Trump was hosting Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday. The strike was in response to suspected chemical attack against civilians in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085758/syria-missile-strike-may-ease-pressure-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085758/syria-missile-strike-may-ease-pressure-xi-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 08:00:15 +0000 The first meeting of US President Donald Trump and his guest President Xi Jinping ended with a flourish of friendship. While the summit in Palm Beach signalled a warm reboot of Sino-US relations, the logistics of two large government delegations on a small barrier island ended up heightening differences between two sides of the Palm Beach area. Donald Trump accepts Xi Jinping’s invitation to visit China And ironically, the day ended with Trump’s announcement of what appears to be a new US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085741/summit-highlights-two-different-sides-florida-seaside?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085741/summit-highlights-two-different-sides-florida-seaside?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 07:30:41 +0000 China’s first lady Peng Liyuan opted for a glamorous, traditional indigo qipao dress for the dinner she and her husband attended at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida, despite fashion experts’ advice that she go for a simple, modern and international look that would show a more open and embracing attitude to other cultures. Peng, known to be fond of traditional Chinese designs and motifs, went all out to highlight her Chinese cultural roots on Thursday. In comparison, US first lady... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085742/decoding-messages-behind-first-lady-fashion-xi-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085742/decoding-messages-behind-first-lady-fashion-xi-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 07:15:15 +0000 US President Donald Trump has accepted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping’s invitation to visit China, state-media reported on Friday. State-run Xinhua news agency made the announcement as the two leaders are meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Why the Xi-Trump summit is a high-stakes gamble Xi arrived in Florida for the summit with Trump on Thursday, US time. He and his wife Peng Liyuan attended a welcome dinner hosted by Trump and his wife Melania. Ahead of the dinner,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085743/trump-accepts-xi-jinpings-invitation-visit-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085743/trump-accepts-xi-jinpings-invitation-visit-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 07:15:00 +0000 Global equity markets and the dollar edged higher on Thursday, helped by fresh data showing a tighter US labour market, as investors stayed cautious before the first meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Key stock indexes in Europe and on Wall Street climbed but a gauge of global equities was little changed, with gains offset by a decline in emerging markets. The dollar index rose after data showed new applications last week for US unemployment... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2085646/global-stocks-dollar-inch-higher-trump-xi-summit-gets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2085646/global-stocks-dollar-inch-higher-trump-xi-summit-gets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 23:55:54 +0000 The dollar rose on Thursday, with gains limited ahead of a two-day summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that could have geopolitical ramifications, and Friday’s critical US jobs report. “The long-awaited meeting ... could well be a combustible affair, with the future of trade relations between the superpowers at stake,” said Dennis de Jong, managing director at online FX broker UFX.com in Limassol, Cyprus. “The market will be hoping for stable,... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/2085590/us-dollar-crawls-hemmed-uncertainty-over-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/2085590/us-dollar-crawls-hemmed-uncertainty-over-trump-xi-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 19:45:30 +0000 US President Donald Trump said at a summit meeting with Xi Jinping that he would have a very strong relationship with the Chinese president and the two men have already developed a friendship. Trump’s comments came towards the end of the first day of the two heads of states’ meetings in Florida and as the US launched a surprise cruise missile attack on targets in Syria. Why the Xi-Trump summit is a high-stakes gamble During a photo shoot for the press before the two presidents dined at Trump’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2085589/trump-and-xi-jinping-jet-florida-highly-anticipated-first-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2085589/trump-and-xi-jinping-jet-florida-highly-anticipated-first-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 19:15:15 +0000 A simple, minimal pattern and one single colour – that’s the advice of fashion experts for Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan when she goes toe to hemline against Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump at the opulent Mar-a-Lago resort. Peng was to join Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump, along with Melania and Ivanka, for a dinner Thursday night US time, and one highlight of the affair is expected be the choice of attire. Peng, a former singing star with the People’s Liberation... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085523/chinas-first-lady-goes-toe-hemline-trump-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085523/chinas-first-lady-goes-toe-hemline-trump-women?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 16:00:30 +0000 The removal of US President Donald Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon, who is known for his tough rhetoric against China, from the National Security Council will provide short-term relief to Beijing, but Sino-US ties still face uncertainty, observers say. The removal of Bannon on Thursday may reduce hawkish voices towards China, and the decision was announced ahead of the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and President Xi Jinping at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trump dumps chief... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085411/bannons-removal-us-national-security-council-provides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085411/bannons-removal-us-national-security-council-provides?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 08:02:04 +0000 China’s neighbours in Asia will be watching the Sino-US summit to see if the role of the United States as a key security player in the region will be reduced, observers said. The analysts said Asian nations were concerned that US leadership in the region might be “traded off” if China gave concessions to President Donald Trump on trade, but were also worried about being forced to take sides if ties between China and the US worsened. Why the Xi-Trump summit is a high-stakes gamble President Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085161/why-chinas-asian-neighbours-are-so-nervous-over-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085161/why-chinas-asian-neighbours-are-so-nervous-over-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 04:06:56 +0000 Analysts in both the United States and China surely understand that concerns at home drive policies abroad, but when surveying China’s domestic political landscape, the forest has sometimes been missed for the trees. Ahead of the summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump this week, many China observers in the US may have overlooked the dynamic tensions and sometimes paradoxical trends embedded in Chinese politics. While Xi is indeed a powerful leader, he... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2085000/xi-all-powerful-what-trump-needs-know-about-chinese-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2085000/xi-all-powerful-what-trump-needs-know-about-chinese-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:00:30 +0000 US President Donald Trump could echo one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s favourite catchphrases during their first meeting on Thursday in Florida, in exchange for concessions from Beijing over North Korea and Trump’s other priorities such as the trade imbalance between the countries, diplomatic experts say. Such an unprecedented trade-off between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies on the “new type of great power relations” is expected to appear in a joint statement at the end of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085117/will-trump-echo-xis-words-leaders-first-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2085117/will-trump-echo-xis-words-leaders-first-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Apr 2017 22:00:00 +0000 The US is building a “global coalition” to subdue North Korea, a US Department of State official said today, following the latest missile test by China’s neighbour and traditional ally. Susan Thornton, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, made the comment at a briefing on tomorrow’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping. Calling yesterday’s missile test by North Korea “Illegal,” Thornton said: “Patience has basically come to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2085258/us-says-building-global-coalition-subdue-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2085258/us-says-building-global-coalition-subdue-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Apr 2017 20:15:00 +0000