Trump's first 100 days: Aiming for stronger ties with China, India

President-elect Donald Trump wants to travel to China after he takes office as part of his effort to deepen relations with Beijing, and also has talked to advisors about a visit to India, a media report said Saturday. Trump, who arrived at the Dulles International Airport aboard a special plane along with First Lady Melania and son Barron, had during his election campaign threatened to impose additional tariffs on China.

Trump Plans Visits to China and India

“President-elect Donald Trump has told advisors he wants to travel to China after he takes office, according to people familiar with the discussions, seeking to deepen a relationship with Xi Jinping strained by the president-elect’s threat to impose steeper tariffs on Chinese imports,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “Trump has also talked to advisers about a possible trip to India, according to people close to him,” the financial daily said. According to familiar sources, a preliminary level of talks were initiated when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Washington DC around Christmas last month. India is all set to host the QUAD Summit composed of leaders from Australia, Japan and the United States. The visit could happen as early as April or in the fall later this year. It is also being considered as a possibility that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might be invited by Trump for a White House meeting this spring.

Recent Communication with Xi Jinping

A day earlier, Trump had spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi has deputed Vice-President Han Zheng to attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony, the first time a senior Chinese official will be present at a US presidential inauguration. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar would represent India at the inaugural. Trump invited Xi to his inauguration; however, the Chinese leader never attends the swearing-in of foreign leaders. After the talks, Trump said he held a “very good” phone call with Xi. “President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!” Trump said. 

Diplomatic Context of Proposed Visits

According to The Wall Street Journal, a Beijing meeting would come at a fraught moment in the relationship between the world’s leading superpowers. Along with potential new tariffs on Chinese imports, Trump has also pushed Beijing to crack down on Chinese chemical producers that supply the ingredients for fentanyl to Mexican cartels, it said.

(Except for the headline, nothing has been changed by All India News Network in the PTI copy.)