May 13, 2026 11:44 am IST

Opinion | The Beijing Visit: Why Does Trump Suddenly Need Xi Jinping?

There is a real possibility that in the mid-term elections in November, Trump may lose the House of Representatives and may become a lame-duck president. How far should it invest in an agreement with him is the question.

Kanwal Sibal Kanwal Sibal Columnist

Kanwal Sibal Columnist

The results of US President Donald Trump's visit to China will be carefully watched and analysed in many capitals. It is unlikely that it will produce major or durable results, although both sides would have done advance work to ensure that some positive outcomes can be announced.

With his impetuousness and erratic policies, and his disruption of the global system, Trump has seriously eroded trust in the US and damaged its standing in the world. The US is no longer seen as a reliable partner by allies and friends.

A transactional approach to foreign relations does not build mutual confidence, as deal-making is based on a short-term perspective, not longer term strategic investment. Trump has shown that the deals he has made can be disavowed by him. Besides, in deal-making, he wants to emerge as the unqualified winner, which means he wants one-sided deals.

Trump transgresses US constitutional checks and balances and defies domestic laws to get his way. It is this mindset that is behind his disregard of international law. His kidnapping of the serving head of state of Venezuela, his war on Iran, his blockade of Cuba and open threats to change the regime there show that his foreign policy is based on raw power, discarding even a diplomatic veneer of values or principles.

While, as his wont, Trump is rhetorical about his personal ties with President Xi, lavishes praise on the Chinese leader - which is part of his patronising style and is intended to boost his own persona - the hard-nosed, unsentimental, coldly calculating, self-focused Chinese will hardly be duped by such talk.

More to the point, the US is explicit in viewing China as a technology rival, with focus now on the AI domain. It intends to develop over time domestic production in the area of critical technologies and raw materials that China today virtually monopolises, and progressively reduce its dependence on China.

The US has accused China of many sins, including supporting Russia and Iran militarily. It has threatened China with sanctions, to which the Chinese react sharply. If the US has denied........

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