No major breakthrough was achieved in the Sichuan-Xi meeting, Xu Yuren: Taiwan’s most dangerous words are hidden in blessings

U.S. President Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on the 24th Eastern Time. Foreign media pointed out that the two sides did not achieve a major breakthrough during the talks. However, Xi Jinping said at the welcome ceremony that "realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" and "making America great again" can go hand in hand. Xu Yuren, a senior researcher at a US think tank and former legislator, pointed out that for Taiwan, "the most dangerous words are hidden in blessings."

Xu Yuren posted a post on Facebook today to summarize his comments on several key points of the Sichuan-Xi meeting and the White House state banquet during the Voice of America (VOA) live broadcast. First of all, he believes that US-China relations are about "management" rather than "breakthrough". The tone of this summit is "stability", not "transaction", and both sides deliberately retain their bargaining chips.

Xu Yuren analyzed that on the key "Taiwan" issue, according to Xinhua News Agency, Xi Jinping asked the United States to adhere to the correct position of "opposing Taiwan independence" and handle the Taiwan issue prudently. What is even more noteworthy is that he said at the welcome ceremony that "realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" and "making America great again" can go hand in hand. Xu Yuren emphasized that in Xi's vocabulary, "national rejuvenation" includes the reunification of Taiwan. "He packaged the Taiwan issue in the friendliest language. This was a careful design."

In addition, the US$14 billion arms sales to Taiwan, which Trump himself calls a potential "negotiation bargaining chip," have been on hold since the Beijing summit in May. It has not yet been decided when they will be promoted. Xu Yuren believes that this is what Taiwan should really be wary of.

Xu Yuren mentioned that Trump said in his speech at the state banquet, "We represent different systems, but we have never gotten along so well." He believes that internally, this sentence is to demonstrate the results of personal diplomacy, and to Xi, it is a signal to "not challenge the system." The wine chosen for the first round of toasts at the state banquet echoed the "wine of peace" between Richard Nixon and Zhou Enlai in 1972. He believed that Trump wanted a historical positioning and wanted to put himself in Nixon's historical pedigree. But for Taiwan, 1972 represents the "Shanghai Communique", which is the starting point of the "One China" framework between the United States and China.

In addition, Xi Jinping said that the two sides have reached consensus on many issues, but did not specify which issues or announced specific agreements. He only repeatedly emphasized "constructive strategic and stable relations" and "a new way for major countries to get along." Internally, this sentence is to show that China and the United States are on an equal footing, and externally, it is to ask the United States to accept China's "core interests."

Xu Yuren finally said that this was a summit where "the atmosphere was greater than the substance." For Taiwan, the most important thing to watch is not the wine glasses at the state banquet, but when the arms sales documents will be unfrozen.