logo
Trump signals possible China visit amid trade, security tensions

Trump signals possible China visit amid trade, security tensions

Qatar Tribune3 days ago
Agencies
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he may soon travel to China for a high-stakes meeting with President Xi Jinping, aiming to ease escalating trade and security tensions between Washington and Beijing.
'President Xi has invited me to China, and we'll probably be doing that in the not-too-distant future,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'A little bit out, but not too distant.'
While no date has been set, officials on both sides are exploring the possibility of Trump visiting Asia later this year, with a potential meeting taking place around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea or during its sidelines between Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Another possible trip could include a Sept. 3 ceremony in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which Russian President Vladimir Putin also plans to attend.
Meetings between Trump and Xi or Putin would mark the first face-to-face encounters between the leaders since Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20 for his second term in office. The White House and the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry declined to comment on the Reuters report.
Global rivals Trump made the comment about meeting Xi during talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a key Pacific ally whom Trump said he had nudged away from China.
'The country was maybe tilting toward China for a period of time, but we un-tilted it very, very quickly,' Trump said. He added, 'I don't mind if he gets along with China because we're getting along with China very well.'
Marcos, who took office in 2022, has sought U.S. support as his country's maritime disputes with China intensify. Manila has tried to avoid direct confrontation with its larger neighbor, which claims most of the South China Sea as its own territory.
The United States and the Philippines have a seven-decade-old mutual defense treaty, potentially implicating Washington in a clash between China and the Philippines.
Washington views Beijing as its primary strategic rival. Upon taking office, Trump launched a tit-for-tat tariff war with China that disrupted global trade and supply chains.
Other points of friction between the two countries include China's support for Russia, the illicit opioid trade, growing pressure on Taiwan, and exit bans imposed on some American residents.
In recent weeks, Trump has sought to reduce tensions, describing his personal relationship with Xi as healthy.
He has also pushed to impose tariffs on virtually all foreign goodsincluding imports from China and U.S. allies such as the Philippines – arguing it will stimulate domestic manufacturing. Critics say the result will be higher prices for consumers.
Trump has proposed a universal base tariff rate of 10% on all imported goods, with higher rates for certain countries. Imports from China currently face the highest rate at 55%.
He has set a deadline of Aug. 12 for the U.S. and China to reach a durable tariff
agreement.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Polls open in Taiwan's key ‘recall election' closely watched by China
Polls open in Taiwan's key ‘recall election' closely watched by China

Al Jazeera

time3 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

Polls open in Taiwan's key ‘recall election' closely watched by China

Polls have opened in Taiwan's high-stakes recall election that could give President William William Lai Ching-te's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) control of parliament, and send what his supporters describe as a strong rebuke to China. Saturday's polls on whether to recall one-fifth of the island's parliament, all from the major Kuomintang (KMT) opposition party, have been denounced by critics as an assault on democracy. But Taiwan's government has also accused China of 'unprecedented' interference in the democratic process of the island. Polling stations opened at 8am local time (00:00 GMT) with 24 Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers facing potential recall. A recall election for an additional seven KMT lawmakers will be held on August 23. President Lai's DPP needs to unseat a minimum of 12 KMT lawmakers to gain temporary control of parliament, with risk analysis firm Eurasia Group giving that outcome 'a 60 percent probability'. Lai's party would then need to flip six seats in by-elections – that will follow the recall vote – later this year to cement its dominance in Taiwan's 113-seat parliament. The DPP and KMT held rain-soaked rallies in the days leading up to the critical vote, which has dominated Taiwanese politics, newspaper headlines and social media feeds for months. While Lai won last year's presidential election, the DPP lost its legislative majority. That has allowed the opposition to flex its legislative muscles since then to pass laws the government has opposed and impose government budget cuts, complicating efforts to boost defence spending, in particular. Taiwan has been trying to increase its military budget amid threats from China, which considers the island part of its territory. The domestic political drama comes as China ramps up a military and diplomatic pressure campaign against Taiwan to assert its territorial claims over the island, which Lai and his government reject. Lai has offered talks with China many times but has been rebuffed by Beijing, which has called him a 'separatist'. The heated recall campaign was closely watched by China, whose Taiwan Affairs Office and Chinese state media have repeatedly commented on and even used the KMT's talking points to lambaste Lai. Taipei said this week that Beijing was 'clearly' trying to interfere in the vote, and it was up to the Taiwanese people to decide who should be removed or stay in office. Those supporting the recall vote have accused the KMT of selling out Taiwan by sending lawmakers to China, not supporting defence spending and bringing chaos to parliament. The KMT, which is more conciliatory to China, rejects those accusations and has denounced Lai's 'dictatorship' and 'green terror' – referring to the DPP's party colour. Polls close at 4pm local time (08:00 GMT) and results should become clear later in the evening.

India's Modi pledges $565m to Maldives to boost infrastructure
India's Modi pledges $565m to Maldives to boost infrastructure

Al Jazeera

time13 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

India's Modi pledges $565m to Maldives to boost infrastructure

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a $565m credit line and launched free trade talks with the Maldives during a visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago. Modi's two-day trip, which began on Friday, is aimed at boosting India's development partnership with the Maldives, where India competes with China for influence. The Indian prime minister said the credit line was central to that goal. 'This will be used for projects linked to infrastructure development in line with the priorities of the Maldivian people,' he said, adding that the two countries would also finalise a bilateral investment agreement. Modi, who is making his first official visit to the Maldives since winning a third term last year, also stressed that India will remain the 'first responder' for the country, which has a population of approximately 525,000 people. 'India will continue to support the Maldives in strengthening its defence capabilities,' he said. 'Peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region are our shared goals.' India had been concerned that the Maldives was drifting towards the orbit of its rival China following the 2023 election of President Mohamed Muizzu on an anti-India platform. Since coming to power, Muizzu broke tradition by choosing to travel to China before visiting India. He also secured the withdrawal of a small contingent of Indian military personnel, who operated two search-and-rescue helicopters and a fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft based in the archipelago. Muizzu's moves briefly soured relations with New Delhi, before India helped to prevent the $7.5bn economy from defaulting on its debt as the Maldives struggled to get tourists to its white-sand beaches and luxury resorts. Muizzu has since visited India and toned down his anti-India rhetoric. He also met Modi twice last year in New Delhi, with both leaders pledging to begin a 'new chapter' in bilateral ties. On Friday, Muizzu said the credit line from India would be used to strengthen the Maldives' security forces, as well as improve healthcare, housing, and education. 'India's continued assistance to the Maldives through the export of essential commodities is a key facet of our bilateral cooperation,' he said. Modi is due to leave the archipelago on Saturday after attending the country's 60th Independence Day celebrations in the capital, Male. The Indian prime minister will also remotely inaugurate an expansion of the international airport on the island of Hanimaadhoo, which India is helping to finance.

Fact check: Did US go from ice cream trade surplus to deficit under Biden?
Fact check: Did US go from ice cream trade surplus to deficit under Biden?

Al Jazeera

time18 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

Fact check: Did US go from ice cream trade surplus to deficit under Biden?

President Donald Trump's administration dished out a cold burn to Trump's ice-cream-loving predecessor, Joe Biden, saying he led the US ice cream industry down an economic rocky road. 'America had a trade surplus in ice cream in 2020 under President Trump's leadership, but that surplus turned into a trade deficit of $40.6 million under President Biden's watch,' the Office of the US Trade Representative wrote July 20 on X. The post included a chart that shows the US ice cream trade deficit with Japan, South Africa, the European Union, Brazil, Canada and Turkiye. The US ice cream trade balance did change dramatically in 2021, the year Biden took office. The trade balance officially flipped negative – which means imports outnumber exports – in 2022 and has remained so since then. But industry experts caution that US ice cream imports account for a minuscule fraction of all the US ice cream consumed in the US, and exports account for a tiny fraction of all US ice cream produced. The trade change was driven mostly by a jump in imports. Exports have remained largely unchanged since 2020. And the cherry on top? Disagreement over which products to classify as 'ice cream' also affects data, experts say. For example, the data referenced by the office of the US Trade Representative also includes 'edible ice', which some experts (and dairy defenders) say doesn't qualify as ice cream. Removing edible ice shows that 'the US is a net exporter by a significant margin of ($193 million) or +85% larger by value,' International Dairy Foods Association Executive Vice President Matt Herrick told PolitiFact via email. Ice cream imports increase causes US trade deficit From 1995 to 2020, the US had an ice cream trade surplus, ranging from about $20m to about $160m, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an online economic data platform. Longtime customers include Mexico, followed by Saudi Arabia and Canada. In 2021, that surplus nearly vanished, and in 2022 and 2023, the US notched up an ice cream trade deficit of $92m and $33m, respectively. At first glance, importing frozen foods doesn't seem practical. 'Shipping refrigerated and frozen products overseas is expensive,' dairy economist Betty Berningat of HighGround Dairy said. 'Mexico is the top destination for US dairy exports.' But many US and European companies have tapped into global markets. 'Consumers may also want a specific treat that is styled after or known to be from another country,' Herrick said. Italy, the birthplace of gelato, is now the United States' largest single source of imported ice cream. Italian ice cream imports more than quintupled from about $12m to almost $65m between 2020 and 2021 alone, before decreasing somewhat in 2023, the last year for which data is available. Some of this stems from increased consumer demand for specialty pints. A report by Mordor Intelligence, a global market research firm, said 'product innovation and premiumisation' have become key in the US ice cream industry. 'This trend is particularly evident in the growth of premium pint offerings and individually wrapped novelties that cater to both indulgence and portion control preferences,' the report said. The US produces far more ice cream than it imports or exports To get to the pint: The vast majority of ice cream consumed in the United States is made there, not overseas. The Trump administration is cherry-picking stats from a fraction of a sliver of the US ice cream industry. According to US Agriculture Department data, US ice cream makers churned out 1.31 billion gallons of ice cream in 2024. This includes regular ice cream, low-fat and nonfat ice cream, sherbet and frozen yoghurt. By comparison, the US imported 2.35 million gallons of traditional ice cream in 2024 – that's 0.18 percent of the amount produced domestically, Herrick said. The US exported 16.4 million gallons of that domestic production, which is also a tiny fraction of 1.31 billion gallons of ice cream – a little more than 1 percent. Factoring in ice cream mixes, excluding 'edible ice' products Another caveat about the international trade data: It does not include 'mixes', which skews the totals, said Herrick of the International Dairy Foods Association. Mixes are used to make ice cream shakes and soft-serve products, and they account for a significant portion of US ice cream exports. 'Inclusion of such data points would change the picture quite significantly,' said Herrick. 'While it is true that traditional ice cream and edible ice exports have seen decreased exports, the same cannot be said for exports of mixes.' US milk-based drink exports increased 621 percent over the past five years, he said. In 2024, the US exported nearly $35m in mixes to the European Union. Americans and dairy-based ice cream: A centuries-old love affair melting away? The White House has churned out plenty of ice cream devotees. George Washington stocked the capital with ice cream-making equipment. Thomas Jefferson is credited as being the first American to record an ice cream recipe. Ronald Reagan declared July National Ice Cream Month in 1984. Barack Obama even slung scoops back in the day. Biden, who was often sighted with a cone in hand, proclaimed while visiting Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream headquarters in 2016: 'My name is Joe Biden, and I love ice cream.' But consumption of regular dairy ice cream – a category that does not include frozen yoghurt, sherbet or nonfat and low-fat ice creams – has been trending down for years. In 1975, Americans ate an average of 18.2 pounds each of ice cream per year. That figure fell to 11.7 pounds by 2023. Our ruling The office of the US Trade Representative purported a summertime scoop: 'America had a trade surplus in ice cream in 2020 under President Trump's leadership, but that surplus turned into a trade deficit of $40.6 million under President Biden's watch.' It's accurate that the US ice cream trade balance had a surplus for a quarter of a century before turning negative while Biden was president. But the US Trade Representative's statement makes the US ice cream deficit appear out of cone-trol. There are three scoops of context on this trade sundae: The change was driven mostly by a jump in imports. Exports have remained largely unchanged since 2020. US ice cream imports and exports are a negligible amount compared to domestic production. There's also disagreement over which products should or shouldn't be included in the data set, which can skew trend interpretations. Excluding edible ice products and factoring in ice cream mixes leaves the US with a surplus. The statement is accurate but needs a sprinkling of clarification and additional details, so we rate it Mostly True. Louis Jacobson contributed to this report.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store