Photo: Screenshot of US president Donald Trump taking an interview aired on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier
US President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his willingness to travel to China for talks on foreign policy and economic issues, describing the relationship between China and the US as "important," according to an interview aired on Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier.
In the same interview, Trump referred to his recently concluded visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), claiming that the three Gulf nations were "very important to keep in our fold." and away from China's influence, according to US media. However, Chinese experts noted it is impossible for the US to isolate China by rallying Gulf countries that have close trade ties and strong relations with China.While Trump continues to underline the importance of China-US relations, his repeated efforts to pressure other countries to distance themselves from China reflect a contradictory approach in Washington's foreign policy, Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.The US recognizes the importance of China-US ties and seeks dialogue, but at the same time refuses to abandon its attempts to isolate China. The Geneva negotiations between China and the US had already shown that the US needs cooperation with China. Regardless of the tough rhetoric on tariffs, the US' decision to suspend them indicates that the US cannot afford to decouple from trade with China, Lü added.Lü also noted that Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, maintain close ties with China, and the nation's influence in the region is evident. "Trump's visit is unlikely to alter the fundamentals of China's cooperation with these nations," Lü said, recalling that it was through Chinese mediation that Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations in 2023.While Trump claimed to have secured investment deals with the three Gulf countries during his trip, The New York Times reported that "much of that total comes in the form of long-term pledges that may or may not materialize," and includes projects already in progress.In contrast to the US' pressure tactics, China promotes open and inclusive partnerships without forcing countries to take sides, said Gao Lingyun, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday.China maintains a consistent approach in its foreign engagements—enhancing cooperation and fostering mutual development without instigating confrontations, Gao said.Donald Trump's claim on Friday was not the first time he emphasized the importance of relations with China. "The relationship is very good," Trump said of China at a briefing on Monday. The US president in his second term has repeatedly expressed an eagerness to speak with China.Amid ongoing trade war and tariff war posed by the Trump Administration, on Friday, when asked about a UN report which mentions that higher tariffs and trade policy uncertainty have weakened the global economic outlook for 2025, posing multiple challenges to the world, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said multilateralism and free trade are now facing severe challenges. Facts prove once again that economic globalization is the historical trend, open cooperation is what the world wants, and multilateralism is the right choice.Under the current situation, it's all the more important for all parties to defend the multilateral trading system and international economic and trade rules, defend the international environment for open cooperation, and realize lasting development and shared prosperity, Lin said.
