BEIJING: China likely views United States President Donald Trump’s abrupt postponement of a much-anticipated summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping – just two weeks before the initially scheduled date – as further evidence of Washington’s unpredictability, even as it seeks to turn the delay to its advantage, say analysts.
While the rescheduling adds uncertainty to a pivotal moment in US-China ties, Beijing is expected to maintain a calibrated response, avoiding public escalation while keeping communication channels open, observers add.
Trump said on Monday (Mar 16) he was looking to push back the much-anticipated summit with Xi in Beijing by around a month because of the Iran war. It was initially scheduled for Mar 31 to Apr 2, the White House had said earlier.
On Tuesday, the US president said he expected to make the trip “in about five or six weeks”.
“We’re working with China. They were fine with it,” Trump said.
“I look forward to seeing President Xi; he looks forward to seeing me, I think.”
WEIGHING THE OPTICS
Optics and protocol carry particular weight in Chinese diplomacy, where leader-level meetings are carefully choreographed and imbued with symbolism, observers noted.
A request to postpone a meeting between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies on short notice would therefore not be an easy signal for Beijing to accept, they said.
“I think the postponement may reinforce Chinese perceptions that Trump is unpredictable and unreliable,” Michael Clarke, an associate professor at Deakin University’s Centre for Future Defence and National Security, told CNA.
He added that Beijing may, internally, see the abrupt move as “disrespectful” and indicative of a “level of strategic incoherence” in Washington.
But Sun Chenghao, a fellow at Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy, noted the exceptional situation.
Since US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb 28, the conflict has spilt over to much of the Middle East as Tehran retaliates. An Iranian squeeze on the vital Strait of Hormuz has also caused oil and gas prices to spike, impacting global markets.
“As a result, China is unlikely to publicly elevate this into an issue of ‘disrespect’,” he said, adding that Beijing will more likely “maintain a calm external posture, keep communication going, and wait for a suitable moment to proceed”.
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