China has not yet given the green light, but Trump has already secretly planned how this meeting with China will proceed, and even gave China a warning in advance. Unexpectedly, Russia countered with a move that foiled Trump's plan.

South Korea hosts APEC Summit

Recently, U.S. media reported that sources revealed that Trump has decided to attend the APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea next month, but in an unusually low-key manner. White House officials stated that Trump's visit to South Korea is still being planned, and the focus of this trip will be on economic cooperation, hoping to secure more investments for the United States.

Notably, compared to the re-meeting between the leaders of the U.S. and South Korea, the U.S. will mainly focus on the meeting between the U.S. and Chinese leaders this time. As is well known, the outside world generally believes that this APEC summit will be the best opportunity for the U.S. and Chinese leaders to meet. Previously, the South Korean side had repeatedly invited China to send its leader.

However, China has not officially announced whether it will accept South Korea's invitation. However, from the U.S. actions, even if there is a 50% chance, Trump will not miss this precious opportunity to meet with China. But before meeting with China, Trump, as per convention, once again made harsh remarks against China.

Lee Jae-myung and Trump

Trump said on social media that if China stops supplying rare earths to the U.S., the U.S. will stop supplying aircraft parts to China as a countermeasure. Trump said that the "strong card" he mentioned earlier was the U.S. Boeing airplanes and various aircraft parts. As long as the U.S. stops supplying, all Chinese planes would "collapse".

Trump also did not forget to continue building his "peaceful" image, saying that he could have used this ace card right from the beginning, but he didn't. After Trump made this statement, before China responded, Russia stepped forward to speak. According to Russian media, the first deputy prime minister of Russia, Manturov, said in an interview that Russia is ready to supply aircraft parts to China.

Manturov

Manturov also said that what Russia provides to China are things Russia is very good at, including composite material wings and heavy engines. In addition, Russia also provided alternative options for Chinese partners to choose from. Besides helping China, breaking through Western encirclement and seeking economic opportunities are the main motives of Russia.

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the West has imposed severe sanctions on Russia, and Boeing and Airbus have stopped supplying parts and maintenance services to Russia, causing serious difficulties for the Russian aviation industry. In this context, developing aviation cooperation with China has become an important path for Russia to break isolation and seek economic development.

C919 (left) and C929 (right) prototypes

By cutting off key components such as engines, Trump aims to delay the commercial production of the C919 and gain time for Boeing to return to the Chinese market. On the other hand, he hopes to force China to make concessions on trade, technology, and even geopolitical issues through the "cut-off."

For China, accelerating domestic alternatives and achieving supply chain independence is the core strategy. As early as when the C919 project was launched, China had anticipated the risk of key technologies being "strangled." Currently, China's domestically produced engines are entering the test flight stage.

Aside from rare earths, China's huge domestic market and scale economy are also a strong card. Even if the U.S. imposes a blockade, China has the ability to resist the impact and achieve internal circulation. From Beidou navigation to space stations, from chips to engines, China has repeatedly achieved technological self-reliance under pressure. Facts will ultimately prove that this move by the U.S. does not work on China.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7547610014207214114/

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