China’s astute diplomatic strategies have given it the floor to amplify its core competencies while engaging in talks with the United States. If imagining a playbook on ‘Negotiating with Trump’, authored by China’s foremost leader, Xi Jinping, it would essentially emphasize exploiting opportunities, exerting substantial pressure, and using the accrued time to bolster their national position. This seems to be precisely the strategy Beijing integrated when President Trump decided to intensify tariffs on Chinese imports in the spring, to facilitate a balance of trade with more American goods entering China and lesser Chinese exports.
Refusing to capitulate, China has elegantly played its masterstroke: a dominance over critical minerals that the United States heavily relies on. Alongside, Beijing has astutely shifted the concentration towards enduring discussions instead of seeking immediate, definitive outcomes. High-level meetings, such as the ones carried out last month in Geneva and then recently in London, perfectly exemplify China’s strategy, keeping the United States engaged in discussions over tempestuous procedural steps.
In this framework, the main subject of the meetings is setting up a ‘canvas’ for future talks. Through this strategy, China masterfully sidesteps potentially contentious topics that polarize discussions. Among such topics are accusations from the United States alleging that China illicitly subsidizes its industries, loads goods for export and restricts foreign corporations from conducting business within its borders.
“One could postulate that China finds comfort in this rhythm of economic encounters complemented with diplomatic intermissions that simply restore the prior status,” remarked an expert from the Brookings Institution, who formerly served in the analysis section of the Central Intelligence Agency concerning Chinese politics.
It’s a strategic game of cat-and-mouse that prevents the U.S. from making meaningful strides toward addressing the foundational U.S. concerns about China’s supposed deceptive non-market strategies. This observation further underscores the inherent sophistication within China’s negotiation tactics.
China’s rich history illuminates its ability to throw the United States off balance during economic discussions, which typically end in a stalemate. These interactions allow Beijing the leeway to evade American incursions while steadily augmenting its economy and manufacturing prominence at its discretion.
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