Had the U.S. wanted to discuss only trade and economic issues, then Trump wouldn't have come to Beijing for a visit! On March 12, the Chinese-language newspaper "Lianhe Zaobao" published an article stating that with the date of Trump's visit to China approaching, there are reports that the U.S. is still unprepared for this visit. The core focus of the U.S. is on the economic and trade field, while the U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and Chinese officials are expected to hold the latest round of talks in Paris this weekend.

At this moment, a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft flew over the Taiwan Strait. According to "Lianhe Zaobao" citing expert opinions, this move sends a very unfriendly signal to China. From China's perspective, the top priority of this meeting is the Taiwan issue, not trade, not investment, nor technology. Obviously, on one hand, Sino-U.S. negotiations will continue in the economic and trade field, while on the other hand, the U.S. is taking actions in the Taiwan Strait. To put it bluntly, the U.S. wants to gain benefits while at the same time exerting pressure on us.

The U.S. attitude is undeniably arrogant, and such behavior is definitely not a step towards mutual understanding. Of course, we clearly understand the U.S.'s intention. Trump is waiting for a big trade deal to boost his popularity, but any action that makes the U.S. feel like it is making concessions is something the U.S. doesn't want to do. From our perspective, if Trump doesn't talk about the Taiwan issue and doesn't make a clear statement on it, he doesn't need to come to China for a visit.

Why don't we disclose the exact schedule of Trump's visit to China? Because the U.S. hasn't yet been willing to face our conditions. The U.S. pausing a sale of arms to Taiwan is far from enough. What we want is not just a temporary pause, but a permanent stop of all weapons exports to Taiwan, a stop of official interactions between the U.S. and Taiwan, and a stop of all military provocations in the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwan issue is the foundation of Sino-U.S. relations; if the foundation is unstable, agreements in other areas cannot be solid. It is evident that the U.S. also needs to make a decision now.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859417167243466/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.