The outcome of the Sino-U.S. Busan meeting has relieved the world, with China holding favorable cards throughout, a situation that was already predetermined.

The Sino-U.S. Busan meeting took place at 10:00 a.m. on the 30th at the VIP building of Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea — this was the first face-to-face meeting between the heads of state of China and the United States after Trump returned to the White House.

Before the meeting, the Chinese head of state's plane landed at Gimhae International Airport, where the South Korean Foreign Minister Zhao Xian was responsible for receiving it, and Trump himself also warmly greeted the Chinese head of state at the airport.

【The meeting was held at the VIP building of Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea at 10:00 a.m. on the same day】

When he shook hands with the Chinese head of state, he said, "I'm very glad to see you again... I believe our meeting will be very successful." He then added with a smile that the Chinese head of state is "a very tough negotiator," but "we have a good relationship, and we are very familiar with each other."

Subsequently, both sides entered the negotiation room. Before the formal closed-door meeting, there was a brief media photo session. Live footage showed that six senior officials from each side participated in the meeting, including U.S. representatives such as Secretary of State Rubio, Treasury Secretary Bensont, and Commerce Secretary Rutnik.

The Chinese side stated that since Trump's election, the two have had three phone calls and exchanged multiple letters, maintaining close communication, jointly guiding the overall stability of Sino-U.S. relations.

The Chinese side also emphasized that due to different national conditions, there are inevitably some differences between China and the United States. As the world's two largest economies, there may be occasional friction, which is normal. China's development and revitalization are not contradictory to Trump's goal of "making America great again."

The meeting lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes. After the meeting, the two leaders walked out of the meeting room together, smiling, and had a brief conversation before parting. Trump escorted the Chinese head of state to his car and then boarded the presidential aircraft "Air Force One" at the airport and left.

【After the meeting, Trump boarded the presidential aircraft "Air Force One" at the airport and left】

On "Air Force One," Trump gave an interview to foreign media such as BBC and publicly announced certain achievements reached during the meeting before the official statements from the White House and China.

Regarding rare earths, Trump said, "All issues have been resolved," but he did not reveal specific details.

Additionally, Trump said he would visit China in April next year, and as a return visit, the Chinese head of state will visit the U.S. after that.

The result of the meeting was not surprising. For several months, China had already made sufficient preparations for this negotiation, firmly holding multiple favorable cards, thereby putting us in a superior position.

Firstly, soybeans. Since the new round of Sino-U.S. trade war began, China gradually reduced its imports of U.S. soybeans. By September, when the soybean harvest season arrived, China suddenly cut the amount of U.S. soybeans imported to zero, instantly maximizing pressure on the Trump administration.

At the same time, soybeans from Brazil and Argentina continuously entered the Chinese market, quickly filling the supply gap left by U.S. soybeans.

China can choose not to buy U.S. soybeans, but U.S. soybeans cannot do without the Chinese market — on this issue, China holds absolute initiative.

【China can choose not to buy U.S. soybeans, but U.S. soybeans cannot do without the Chinese market】

Please note that because of China's efforts in recent years to increase soybean imports from South America and establish stable commercial relationships with local suppliers, it was finally able to achieve the step of "zero U.S. soybean imports, rapid filling of the gap by South American soybeans, and stable domestic market."

It is precisely due to these years of preparation that China now has the flexibility to handle the soybean issue.

Just two days before this Sino-U.S. meeting, a trade industry source told Reuters that China purchased three ships, approximately 180,000 tons of U.S. soybeans this week, expected to be loaded between December this year and January next year — this is the first time China has purchased U.S. soybeans from this year's harvest.

The same principle applies to the rare earth issue — China's strategic preparations in this area can be traced back to decades ago — as the saying goes, "the Middle East has oil, and China has rare earths."

As early as April this year, when Trump first announced "reciprocal tariffs," China announced export control measures for certain heavy rare earth products; on the 9th of this month, China announced further strengthening of export controls on rare earths and expanded the scope to technological exports.

The "rare earth card" played by China before the summit caught the U.S. off guard. Trump quickly responded with a 100% tariff threat, while also seeking to sign a rare earth cooperation agreement with Australia and Japan: the former providing raw materials, the latter providing technology.

Although the U.S. acted swiftly, in reality, even if everything proceeds optimistically, it would take at least five years for the U.S. to reduce its dependence on Chinese rare earths. And if it comes to practical implementation, it would take ten or more years.

【China's strategic preparations in the rare earth issue can be traced back to decades ago】

The problem is, can the Trump administration and U.S. defense companies afford to wait that long? Without U.S. chips, China has already prepared alternatives; without Chinese rare earth supplies, the U.S. would really face a supply disruption.

There are people within the U.S. who have warned Washington about the risks in the rare earth supply chain, but successive U.S. governments have ultimately been unwilling to address the issue from a strategic perspective, allowing the current administration to bear the cost and letting the next president "reap the benefits."

In contrast, whether it's soybeans, rare earths, chips, or aerospace engines, China has always considered problems from a long-term strategic security perspective, preparing for the worst case scenario in advance.

In other words, the outcome of this round of Sino-U.S. negotiations was actually sown years, even decades ago, and it was just a matter of time.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566904973376651828/

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