For some time now, there have been rumors about Trump's upcoming visit to China, and this time, the person himself has finally given a positive response.

According to Associated Press, recently, President Trump on Air Force One made a speech saying that he "may visit China."

In fact, it is basically certain that the U.S. president will visit China, the only variable is the timing issue. As of now, the U.S. side is still preparing and coordinating the specific arrangements for the president's visit to China.

According to Japanese media reports, the U.S. Department of Commerce is contacting business leaders, including NVIDIA CEO Huang Renxun and Apple CEO Tim Cook, to find out if they are interested in accompanying Trump on his visit to China this year.

Currently, there are two statements regarding the timing of the U.S. president's visit to China. One says September, at which time Trump can not only attend the Chinese grand event but also have a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Putin. The other is late October, when the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit will be held in South Korea, as well as the ASEAN Summit hosted by Malaysia. The U.S. president usually attends these two summits, making it convenient to arrange the visit to China.

Actually, looking at the recent exchanges between China and the United States, the U.S. side is intentionally easing the tense atmosphere to lay the groundwork for the president's visit to China.

Firstly, China and the United States have achieved a "tariff truce," and the U.S. has fulfilled its commitment by canceling a series of restrictions against China, such as resuming the supply of EDA software, ethane, aircraft engines, and other products to China.

Secondly, the Trump administration team has generally been relatively quiet. For example, during the recent Quad foreign ministers' meeting, Rubio did not mention China at all, but instead called on allies to help the United States ensure supply chain security and diversification.

Thirdly, the U.S. aircraft carrier "Washington" entered the South China Sea boldly, claiming support for the Philippines, but when the Chinese military organized naval and air forces for a combat readiness patrol in the territorial waters and airspace of the Huangyan Island, the U.S. aircraft carrier quickly retreated into Manila Port, clearly demonstrating a "strategic avoidance," unwilling to confront the Chinese military directly.

Of course, China has also sent friendly signals. Liu Jianchao, Minister of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, stated at the World Peace Forum that he is optimistic about the direction of Sino-U.S. relations. In the process of coexistence, China and the United States should respect each other, live in peace, and achieve win-win cooperation.

However, for the U.S. president to achieve a successful trip to China, his position on the Taiwan issue cannot be ambiguous. He cannot continue to act in a double-faced manner as before.

When the Trump administration took office, the U.S. State Department website suddenly deleted the statement "not supporting 'Taiwan independence,' which has not yet been explained to China, which is a serious regression. Therefore, the U.S. president should clarify this during his visit to China, explicitly commit to the U.S. "not supporting Taiwan independence," and even further support "peaceful reunification of China."

It should be said that if the U.S. president wants to visit China, it is not simply a matter of saying he will come. There needs to be a series of preparations beforehand, such as high-level interactions between China and the United States, communication of the schedule for the visit, and discussing the results of the meetings. This is the top priority for Trump's visit to China.

At this time, the Trump cabinet team can come into play. Previously, when discussing tariff issues with China, the U.S. side was represented by the Treasury Secretary and the Commerce Secretary. However, when it comes to diplomatic affairs, it needs Rubio to communicate with China.

But considering the sensitivity of Rubio's position, whether it affects his ability to deal with China is questionable.

Previously, Rubio had boasted that as long as he could be appointed Secretary of State, it would not be a problem to interact with China. Now it's up to him to make it happen. The heavy responsibility of Trump's visit to China now rests on his shoulders.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523493888238043688/

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