China is the ‘big enchilada’ in Trump’s trade warpublished at 01:47 GMT
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent, travelling with the US President
Trump has been getting what he wants on his Asia trip so far.
In Malaysia, it was participation in a normalisation agreement between Cambodia and Thailand – adding to the list of “peace deals” he can claim to have brokered.
In Tokyo, he received a gushing reception from new prime minister Sanae Takaichi, a disciple of the late Shinzo Abe, who had a close relationship with Trump.
Takaichi gifted Trump Shinzo Abe’s golf bag and putter (the two men shared a passion for the sport).
There were signed deals to announce as well – one promising to usher in a “golden age” of US-Japan relations, and another pledging cooperation on critical mineral extraction and processing.
South Korea welcomed Trump with a military band playing YMCA – the Village People hit that has become a Trump rally anthem – gave Trump a fancy award and the replica of an ancient crown.
All of this is a warm-up for Thursday’s meeting with Xi in Busan, however. China is the “big enchilada” in US trade relations, to steal a phrase from Richard Nixon, an American president who knew a thing or two about tense – but productive – Sino-American relations.
And Xi isn’t going to bend over backward to curry favour with Trump the way other leaders on this trip have.
