"Donald Trump has very little leverage heading into two days of meetings with China's leader, Xi Jinping, in Beijing this week, experts say. The thinking goes that Trump came into office with a plan that has since largely failed. He hoped to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, settle things down with Israel and Gaza, launch his Liberation Day tariffs, and quickly diversify US supply chains, all of which would have given him substantial leverage over China. But none of that happened, and instead, Trump's escalations in Iran have only handed China even more leverage heading into talks, and Xi knows it."
"Unwilling to appear weak when negotiating with one of America's most critical trading partners and fiercest adversaries, Trump invited executives of some of the biggest US tech firms to tag along. Among tech leaders joining Trump is Tim Cook, who Trump fondly calls "Tim Apple." The Beijing trip will likely be Cook's "final major diplomatic effort" as Apple's departing CEO, EuroNews noted. Elon Musk will also be there, suggesting that Trump still values the SpaceX CEO's input on foreign policy."
"At the last minute, Trump confirmed that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will also be attending, which Reuters noted could help Nvidia finally convince China to start buying the high-end chips that Huang convinced the US would be safe to sell to China earlier this year. Scott Kennedy, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a bipartisan think tank, recently spent two weeks in Beijing discussing US-China relations with Chinese officials and businesses. At a recent press briefing, he provided insights that could help explain why Trump may have hastily formed this tech gaggle ahead of the summit."
Trump heads into two days of meetings with Xi Jinping in Beijing with limited leverage. Plans to resolve Ukraine, stabilize Israel and Gaza, impose Liberation Day tariffs, and diversify US supply chains did not deliver leverage over China. Escalations in Iran have increased China’s leverage going into negotiations. To avoid appearing weak, Trump invited executives from major US tech firms to join him, including Tim Cook, Elon Musk, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Huang’s presence may support efforts to persuade China to buy high-end chips. The underlying dynamic is mutual dependence in the AI race, with Nvidia chips playing a central role.
Read at Ars Technica
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