When world leaders met in Peru for a big conference recently, Joe Biden was hoping to get some good press from a huddle on the sidelines with Xi Jinping. He was frustrated because everyone he talked to, including the Pooh Bear, wanted to know what Trump’s going to do. Make sure you tell him I’m willing to cooperate, Xi pressed. Everyone attending the APEC summit of Pacific leaders in Lima were totally obsessed with Trump.
Panic in Peru
There’s panic in Peru. Xi Jinping won’t have Joe Biden to kick around anymore and he’s anxious about what Donald Trump will do to his balance of trade.
Xi and Biden, CNN reports, “closed the book on their diplomatic relationship Saturday, meeting for a final time amid uncertainty over what the next Donald Trump presidency might portend for their two countries’ ties.”
With Joe Biden headed for retirement and obscurity, his visit in Peru with the Chinese President for life had an air of finality and wasted opportunities. Xi didn’t get nearly the performance from Joe that he paid Hunter for.
Both leaders recognize that a stable relationship between their two countries is “important.” One “that could quickly tilt into global conflict if not carefully managed.”
They had their meeting behind closed doors in Lima, Peru, but China produced a transcript. Xi’s entire message was meant for Donald Trump’s ears. He can’t trust Joe to get anything right and now that he’s got dementia, he won’t remember the message.
Trump, he warned diplomatically, should think twice about kicking a hornet’s nest. There’s no honey in that. But there is, the Pooh Bear suggests, in other places. Ones they can maybe kick over together.
The wise choice
Xi was quick to bring up what was on everyone’s mind at the conference in Peru. “The United States has recently concluded its elections. China’s goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship remains unchanged.” They won’t make trouble if Trump doesn’t.
“Make the wise choice,” Xi warned. “Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other.” The alternative is going to be brutally radioactive.
The comments, even CNN can see, “amounted to as clear a sign as any that China is now looking past Biden toward his successor.” If Trump wants to get hostile, they can meet the challenge. While there in Lima, Xi was dedicating their shiny new shipping Mega-port.
U.S. tariffs up around 60% are going to hurt but they won’t hurt as bad when he can ship directly back and forth to South America. The port facilities are also big enough to serve a warship. Just in case. Peru was once the seat of the Inca empire and their ancient trade routes fit in real well with Xi’s Belt and Road scheme.
Xi is ready to work with Trump if he’ll come to the table with an open mind. “China is ready to work with the new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation and manage differences, so as to strive for a steady transition of the China-US relationship for the benefit of the two peoples.” He doesn’t offer to make good on the deals he made with Trump the last time, then failed to deliver.
Another hot topic in Peru was Taiwan. Biden went out of his way to peel it away from China. Trump’s going to want the microchips. Xi’s suggesting that maybe they can work out a way of sharing the chips as China quietly reabsorbs their territory politically, without any bloodshed. Perhaps.
