During Xi Jinping's visit to the United States, the red carpet was very long, but the answers were very short. Trump personally went to the base to greet him, and the White House arranged military salutes and state banquets. Diplomatic standards were raised to the highest level, but the results on the table were disproportionate. The United States and China have only extended the trade truce for two months, leaving all thorny issues such as tariffs, rare earths and technology controls for later discussion. On the issues of artificial intelligence (AI) and Taiwan, no new agreement has emerged to change the situation.
Summit continues negotiations, battleground turns to Shenzhen and Miami
However, this does not mean that the talks are useless, it is more like a meeting to reschedule negotiations. Trump predicted that the two would meet again at the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November and the G20 summit in Miami in December. The two countries did not finish talking over the difficult issues in Washington, but first ensured that the negotiations were not interrupted. Washington controls advanced chips and finance, while Beijing controls rare earths and supply chains. The most obvious outcome of the round in Washington in September was not who won, but that neither side upset the table.
Taiwan issue has not left the negotiation table, be wary of exchange of interests
What Taiwan needs to pay close attention to is that Xi Jinping once again asked the United States to oppose "Taiwan independence", while approximately 14 billion U.S. dollars in arms sales to Taiwan are still under review by the United States. Beijing wants Washington to take a step forward on the Taiwan issue, while Washington is considering rare earths, agricultural products and tariffs. Just because the Taiwan issue has not been concluded in Washington does not mean that it has left the negotiating table.
Few results are because difficult problems have been left behind, and many meetings mean that the quid pro quo is still moving. From APEC in Shenzhen to the G20 in Miami, the tariffs, chips, AI and rare earths that the United States and China will discuss next may all have an impact on the larger strategic relationship. What Taiwan is concerned about is not who is sitting at the state banquet or how long the red carpet is, but where Taiwan's security is placed when the United States and China are looking for room to trade.
The interests of major powers are intertwined, and Taiwan’s security cannot be exchanged.
In his speech at the White House, Trump emphasized common interests, while Xi Jinping declared that competition should be a healthy race rather than a fight. It is inevitable for major countries to pursue their own interests, but when the two heads of state sit at the negotiation table time and time again, whose interests can be exchanged and whose security cannot be exchanged? The red carpet in Washington has been put away, and the real answer may not be clear until the next negotiation table.
