“China-US ties have become more transactional,” said Wu Xinbo, a professor at Shanghai’s Fudan University who advises China’s foreign ministry.
While Washington may want to prioritise trade talks, for Beijing, the US approach to Taiwan could be key, he said.
“If you accommodate our concern on the Taiwan issue, then we would be willing to accommodate your concerns on other issues, be it law enforcement or on purchases of US agricultural products,” Wu said.
PUTTING PRESSURE ON IRAN
Washington also sees Xi as uniquely able to exert pressure on Iran to bring an end to the war that has dragged Trump’s approval rating to the lowest of his political career.
However, Xi has shown little inclination to do so. Reuters earlier this month reported that Beijing is selling billions of dollars’ worth of goods to Iran through a sanctions-evasion scheme. China’s foreign ministry says it is not aware of such a scheme.
US threats last month of secondary sanctions on countries doing business with Iran – which Bessent called an “Economic D-Day” – appear not to have yet been wielded against Tehran’s largest trading partner.
That is more evidence, analysts say, that Trump is eager to keep relations with Xi steady as he focuses his energies elsewhere – an arrangement that also suits the Chinese leader.
“Both Xi and Trump feel it’s quite helpful to have stability in the relationship so that they can focus on more pressing things,” said Ruby Osman, senior geopolitical researcher at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
“For Trump, that is Iran. For Xi, that is building out China’s domestic resilience for whatever comes after Trump.”
