Trump warms up to China for greater good

US President Donald Trump will meet President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Nov 8 during his first state visit to China, which is expected to further enhance the strategic understanding and friendship between the two countries and their heads of state, and hopefully elevate bilateral ties to a new level.

Following the Xi-Trump meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in April, important breakthroughs have been achieved in Sino-US relations. The meeting established a positive working relationship between the two heads of state, with Trump saying he got on very well with Xi. At their meeting, the two leaders announced that four high-level dialogue mechanisms would be established and a 100-day Action Plan implemented to strengthen bilateral economic ties. The first rounds of dialogue have concluded, yielding the desired results under the 100-day Action Plan, and boosting bilateral relations.

These positive developments reflect two major transformations in Trump's China policy. The first is a shift in his understanding of China from a subjective level to an objective level, and the second, a shift in his policy approach toward China from emotional irrationality to constructive realism. As a result, Trump has transformed from being more hawkish than his predecessor to being friendly. This change has come because of certain factors.