prc30 on Nostr: China Morning Missive This is how the “Grand Bargain” process begins and Trump ...
China Morning Missive
This is how the “Grand Bargain” process begins and Trump inviting Xi to the inauguration is genuine brilliance. This invitation goes to a core issue for the Chinese. Very high on the list of what is sought is the acknowledgment of America and China being equals on the world stage. Having Xi Jinping attend a Presidential inauguration simply delivers.
I cannot stress enough how critically important this point of “equals” is to the Chinese leadership.
The invitation will also give Beijing a clear indication that America’s policy towards China has demonstrably shifted. The tone is shifting away from containment to that of peer competitors. This message will, once again, be very welcomed not just among Xi and his team, but across China.
I’ve noted before that the Trump Team has an intense domestic agenda to address once in office. That agenda is the priority. Having to prioritize China as well during the first six months or year would complicate matters. The simple act of inviting Xi to Trumps’s swearing-in ceremony takes the entire issue off the boil. Moreover, it would also allow for parties on both sides to begin an engagement process, one which could deliver a far more substantive agreement. The “Grand Bargain” that I speak of.
Now the question turns to whether Xi will RSVP. I am extremely confident that he will. Do not underestimate just how consequential, and positively so, this overtly diplomatic act by Trump could end up being.
This is how the “Grand Bargain” process begins and Trump inviting Xi to the inauguration is genuine brilliance. This invitation goes to a core issue for the Chinese. Very high on the list of what is sought is the acknowledgment of America and China being equals on the world stage. Having Xi Jinping attend a Presidential inauguration simply delivers.
I cannot stress enough how critically important this point of “equals” is to the Chinese leadership.
The invitation will also give Beijing a clear indication that America’s policy towards China has demonstrably shifted. The tone is shifting away from containment to that of peer competitors. This message will, once again, be very welcomed not just among Xi and his team, but across China.
I’ve noted before that the Trump Team has an intense domestic agenda to address once in office. That agenda is the priority. Having to prioritize China as well during the first six months or year would complicate matters. The simple act of inviting Xi to Trumps’s swearing-in ceremony takes the entire issue off the boil. Moreover, it would also allow for parties on both sides to begin an engagement process, one which could deliver a far more substantive agreement. The “Grand Bargain” that I speak of.
Now the question turns to whether Xi will RSVP. I am extremely confident that he will. Do not underestimate just how consequential, and positively so, this overtly diplomatic act by Trump could end up being.