If there is one person who is not particularly adept at making new friends, it is the President of the United States, Donald Trump. His constant, tension-laden messages on social media have not only strained global politics and international relations to a degree not seen since the Cold War, but have also isolated his country (and its allies, such as Canada and Europe) from other trade deals needed to keep the Western economy afloat. With every passing day that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the war with Iran drag on, rising fuel prices and the energy crisis worsen. And American public opinion is beginning to tire. According to a Reuters poll, over 60% of Americans oppose war with Iran and the administration's current handling of the matter.
Trump's popularity, even among the supporters who propelled him to the White House, is now at an all-time low, and the president needs victories on the international stage, whilst he battles in the courts to defend his attack on Iran. That is why he will travel to China alongside a delegation of CEOs from major multinationals to meet there with the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, with the aim of having the Chinese leader also mediate in the peace talks in Pakistan with the Iranians. The meeting will take place in the capital, Beijing, on 14 and 15 May, and will include visits to some of the city's best-known historical monuments, such as the Temple of Heaven, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
However, Chinese diplomats have given this "invitation" a cool reception, particularly as it has been only a few months since Trump himself began to undermine trade relations between his country and China, accusing the Asian nation of "cheating" over its prices. This triggered the well-known tariff war, which has gradually been pushed to one side. According to some analysts, mediation with Iran would require the United States to deliberately look the other way so that mainland China can take steps towards manoeuvres for the accession of the island of Taiwan.
According to Reuters, sources close to the preparations for the upcoming talks say that China is also demanding that the Trump administration commit to refraining from future retaliatory trade measures, such as technology export controls, and to reversing existing controls on chip-making equipment and advanced memory chips.
In short, Trump arrives in China with fewer cards to play, whilst China stands to emerge from this meeting even more confident. We will know for certain in the coming days.