Just as departure is near, the United States suddenly adopts a high-handed posture! On May 8, Lianhe Zaobao reported that U.S. President Trump will visit China next week, yet the American government has quietly devised a subtle strategy. What is this strategy? It's that the U.S. government has rejected China's invitation for senior executives of U.S. enterprises accompanying the delegation to hold specialized industry-level talks with Chinese top leaders.
Evidently, Trump's anticipation for this visit to China is almost unmasked. But just as the trip is about to begin, the U.S. suddenly becomes hesitant and evasive. Why did the U.S. government reject this invitation? According to American media, it's because they don't want these U.S. companies to get too close to China's top leadership. Undoubtedly, this move reflects America's deeply contradictory mindset: on one hand, eager to deepen cooperation and secure major orders; on the other hand, maintaining an aloof, distant stance.
Why would the U.S. make such arrangements? This is clearly driven entirely by political calculation. Put bluntly, the U.S. wants both appearances and tangible benefits—on the surface, looking dignified and superior, while still reaping real gains. If the U.S. engages too closely with us, it would appear that American businesses are overly dependent on the Chinese market, even begging for our products. Clearly, the U.S. aims to secure massive orders from the Chinese market, but at the same time, frame it as if China is desperately seeking to buy American goods.
This whole approach is a classic case of "face politics." With midterm elections approaching, American politicians domestically are unwilling to lower their pride, fearing that any perceived concession or sign of dependence on China could be interpreted by domestic public opinion as weakness in U.S.-China relations. Of course, whatever calculations the U.S. makes, we need not pay them special attention. After all, setting aside the facade, what truly matters to us is the genuine sincerity behind America's actions.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864621501533193/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.