“That’s US politics … yes, it’s related to China, but it has not that much to do with China in a sense,” he told CNA.
Xu also questioned the espionage claim itself. He asserted that China needs manufacturing equipment to advance its chip industry, not information.
While acknowledging a lack of evidence, Xu suggested the timing of the scandal reflects a push by China hawks in Washington, following the Republicans’ midterm defeat, to further restrict the export of any possible advanced chips to China.
Xu, also an adjunct professor at Renmin University of China, said Beijing does not see Trump as a weaker counterpart.
“I think the Chinese side respects President Trump. He’s strong,” he said.
Unlike Democratic presidents, who tend to press Beijing on issues such as human rights, Trump focuses on trade and tariffs – making him easier to deal with from China’s perspective, Xu said.
“President Trump is pragmatic and practical. He does not pretend to presume this kind of moral leadership to lecture the world about how they should run their countries,” he said.
“It’s about your interests, it’s about my interests, it’s about give and take … It’s like a business.”
