Highly formalities, friendly gestures, emphasis on cooperation... After the meeting between the Chinese and American leaders, German media noticed that compared to the tough stance at the beginning of his second term, U.S. President Trump has significantly softened his tone when dealing with China. What exactly does this change mean?
German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung commented on September 25th that behind the red carpets and diplomatic pomp, a reality is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore:
The article notes that, compared to the past when Trump frequently pressured China, this time he did not mention issues related to China, Taiwan, Japan, etc. in his public speeches. He also did not use the Russia-Ukraine conflict or Iran-related issues to criticize China. Instead, he repeatedly emphasized Sino-US cooperation and the “great progress” made by both sides.
"South German Tribune" even described this scene with the headline "Trump seeks Chinese recognition urgently."
The article argues that Trump initially tried to demonstrate America’s strength, but some carefully planned scenes actually revealed America’s weakness in the face of China. Washington is now “simply unable to afford to confront China openly”.
This change is not without reason.
German TV channel n-tv commented during the analysis of this meeting that Trump currently does not have much leverage to make tough demands to Beijing. In the ongoing economic and trade negotiations, China has increasingly many means to counter America. Adam Posen, director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, believes that this round of summit meetings has largely merely bought time for Washington; while both sides are exerting pressure on each other, China has the ability to make America pay a heavy price.
Rare earths are one of the most practical examples. n-tv pointed out that in order to encourage China to relax its export restrictions, the US had previously had to make adjustments regarding tariffs, technical regulations, and visas. This means that the tariffs and technological blockades that Washington has traditionally used are no longer solely a cost that China needs to consider.
Both sides' public statements have also attracted attention from German media. Trump emphasized friendship, cooperation, and common interests more often. The Chinese side clearly stated that China and the United States should enhance mutual trust and treat each other's enterprises fairly. It was also emphasized that competition should be "boundary-controlled" and not turn into a battle of winners and losers.
The Süddeutsche Zeitung believes that the red carpet and the honor guard certainly do not indicate that the differences between China and the United States have disappeared. However, this meeting at least reveals a change: as China has more and more countermeasures at hand, it is no longer as easy for Washington to continue unilateral pressure on Beijing.
