It’s official: MAGA now has a Chinese cousin and Xi Jinping has endorsed it. At the official banquet for the visiting US President Donald Trump, the Chinese supremo said …”Achieving the great rejuvenation of the great Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand.”
But the big news of the day after Trump and Xi deliberated for over two hours, was that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. According to the White House, “Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Also, according to the White House, “The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy.”
There will be more when talks wind up on Friday and a statement emerges. But for Xi, of overriding importance was Taiwan.
“We believe that China and the US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. We must make it work and never mess it up,” Xi intoned, laying the ground for some tough talk on the island Beijing plans to take over at some point.
Taiwan, in Xi’s view, is the one obstacle to better relations with the US. It could push the two countries “into conflict”, Al Jazeera reported him as saying. It would be better if the two countries were “partners and not rivals.”
Trump’s response was not known but ahead of his departure for Beijing he had told journalists “I’m going to have that discussion with President Xi. President Xi would like us not to and I’ll have that discussion.”
The expectation is he will stick to the US policy of ambiguity regarding Taiwan. The Chinese would have reason to doubt that ambiguity given that a massive $14 billion arms package for Taiwan is pending.
Earlier in December 2025, Trump had approved an $11 billion funding package that would include Javelin antitank missiles, rocket launchers and howitzers.
Whatever the explanation, Xi won’t be happy on that score.
