Thomas Röper anti-spiegel.ru/trumps-verschobene-chinareise-und-die-folgen-aus-der-sicht-pekings
USA and China
Trump's Superior Journey to China and the consequences from Beijing's perspective
Trump postponed his planned journey to China from April to May due to the Iran War. What sounds like trivial news is of global political importance – not only from a Chinese perspective.
Anti-Spiegel March 31, 2026
In the context of the Iraq-Iran War, German media only mentioned, at best, that US president Trump postponed a long-planned and very crucial journey to China. It was originally planned for April, but according to the White home it was postponed to May, although China has not yet confirmed a fresh date. This seemingly trivial information has crucial geopolitical implications, which TASS correspondent in China has examined in an article I have translated.
USA–China: Iran as an obstacle, that is why Trump did not go to Beijing
TASS correspondent Andrej Kirillov reports from Beijing a Superior visit of the U.S. president to China: What went incorrect with Trump and how do the Chinese choice up the postponement?
White Horse Fiasco
It is clear that Donald Trump worked in show business before entering politics. He is simply a talented director, organizer and brain of large performances with dramatic and comedy elements, tragic choir and professional cast. His visit to Beijing, announced at last year's gathering with Chinese president Xi Jinping, was besides to be a global event. According to his vision, Trump was to enter the Chinese capital on a white horse.
Well, American presidents usually travel through abroad cities in a convoy of dozens of black American cars, passing locals who are charmed by this imperial splendor. Trump was to arrive in Beijing on a white horse, bringing a fast and spectacular triumph over Iran. possibly on a white elephant.
However, the Chinese, and especially Chinese leader Xi Jinping, have a strong sense of history. It is not that Iran and China established a comprehensive strategical partnership 10 years ago during a visit by the state president of China to Tehran. Iran (Persia) has been China's crucial trading partner for centuries. The country was crossed by the Silk Road, as was another extended territories inhabited by Iranian-speaking peoples. In addition to trade, there was a revived cultural exchange with Persia, and even the celebrated Chinese lion dance and the Chinese word meaning “lev” have Persian roots, according to researchers.
Apparently, the U.S. president has been planning a fast triumph over Iran since last year, even before gathering with the Chinese president at the APEC summit in Pusan, South Korea in October. He planned his visit to China precisely for that day, but March did not go as planned.
Now on Chinese social media, there is simply a movie generated by Chinese artificial intelligence, bearing comments from users. You can see an American bald eagle on it – you know what it looks like – stuck in the mud under a hail of stones thrown at it by people in black turbans. At the end of the film, the eagle flies distant with a promise: "I will return".
Beijing advises Trump to refresh his knowledge.
On March 25, White home spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated at a regular press conference that president Trump's long awaited gathering with president Chin Xi would take place in Beijing on May 14 and 15. She added with large optimism that a revision of the Chinese president in the US is besides expected “later in the year”.
The following day, spokesperson for the Chinese abroad Ministry Lin Jian avoided giving circumstantial dates, noting only that both sides "contacted US president Donald Trump's visit to China".
"Diplomation of Heads of State plays the essential strategical function in Chinese-American relations", he said succinctly.
However, Beijing's “Global Times”, an English-language publication of the State diary “People's Journal”, published an editorial article entitled "Getting to know China firsthand: a lesson that American officials urgently request to learn". The article reflects Beijing's reaction, which cannot be expressed in a concise diplomatic language, and in fact means: "This is not how you do China." citing American sources, the paper pointed to a disastrous situation in the US, where there is simply a deficiency of competent personnel who could realize China at least a little.
"Although relations between China and the United States are the most crucial bilateral relations in the world, these contacts have been at a low level for many years, and the last visit by the president of the United States to China almost 10 years ago", the article stressed. "This is not average and cannot last forever." "Global Times" as the origin of this anomaly states "an increasingly toxic atmosphere in Washington to China". The American political culture, as it further explains, is characterised by a clear “complex Messiah”. "As a result, many members of the American political elite feel that there is no request to invest in global political and cultural exchanges, and another countries simply request to realize and accept American institutions and ideas," the paper laments. The situation is aggravated by "the rigidity and isolation of the American decision-making culture". China's policy towards the United States is "coherent, unchangeable and predictable, emphasising common respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation".
"We hope that American decision-makers will spend more time visiting China and watching the situation with their own eyes. Only then will they be able to get free of arrogance, correct prejudice, and correct their perception through direct exchange of views," says the “Global Times”.
Is China on the defensive?
Although films about U.S. difficulties, generated by Chinese neural networks, can be fun, China suffered crucial geopolitical losses in respective locations in just 1 to 2 and a half years. The arrest of Venezuelan president Maduro undermined China's crucial interests in this country. The Panama Maritime Office occupied 2 key ports on the Panama Canal, previously operated by a Hong Kong company with close links to Beijing.
There is no request to be a prophet to foretell that direct or indirect American control will be established there. This fundamentally undermined the advancement of the Chinese megaproject Belt and way Initiative in Latin America. Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran are ranked 3 first on the list of countries with the largest oil reserves. Regardless of what the green economy claims, fossil fuel is liable for 1 3rd of global energy consumption and is improbable to change in the foreseeable future.
These are just isolated episodes in the global rivalry between the “first” and the “second” planet economy, nevertheless arbitrary these classifications may be. The United States, which has somewhat softened its rhetoric towards China in its fresh National safety Strategy, continues to strive for a long-term halt to China and to limit their economic, logistical, political and cultural presence – whether in Southeast Asia, both Americas or Europe.
Washington promotes the relocation of abroad and joint production facilities, as well as innovative discipline and technology centres from China, if not the United States itself, to countries and regions under their influence. At the same time Chinese attempts to invest capital, make production facilities or export goods through another countries, mainly neighbouring countries (e.g. Vietnam and Thailand) are blocked. There is clearly an effort to increase force not only on China's neighbours, but on all countries where China is prominently present and affected by the United States.
This is not a policy circumstantial to the current president of the United States, but alternatively a long-term American strategy. Trump, however, personally imposes this course. In addition to the preferred customs tactics, it is besides based on direct military interventions (in Venezuela and now in Iran). It is clear that US action in these cases has many goals, but 1 of the main motives is the anti-Chinese attitude.
Trump tariff restrictions (which can be interpreted as an aggressive customs policy) are an effective instrument, but China has found its own countermeasures and, most importantly, has dared to implement them, utilizing exports of uncommon earth elements. Well, in a way, Beijing stepped down. For example, in the case of the sale of TikTok, although the profit of Americans in this case is not apparent at all, the Chinese company retained a crucial share of the net profits.
Faced with the force of America, China has shown remarkable resilience. Above all, the country remains a key driver of the global economy, taking second place after the US in terms of nominal GDP and ahead of it in terms of purchasing power parity. According to the State Monetary Administration (PAMF), full exports of goods and services amounted to $309.2 billion in February, and import of $257.3 billion, which translated into a trade surplus of $51.9 billion. At the end of last year and at the beginning of this year, the president of France, Prime Ministers of Canada and large Britain and Chancellor of Germany visited Beijing. During these talks, Western leaders have put aside controversial political issues (Tibet, Sinciang, human rights) and focused solely on economical issues. Chinese diplomacy besides considered these visits a success.
Contacts are maintained, but will they produce tangible results?
However, it cannot be said that Beijing has decided to limit its relation with Washington in the light of American pressure, and especially the conflicting policy of the US president (which in itself can be seen as a form of pressure).
On the contrary, China intends to full support the existing negotiation formats. China is ready to step up multilateral and regional cooperation with the US in trade and economy. The Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao late stated this during a gathering with a typical of the Jamison Greer trade at the margins of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Jaunde, Cameroon, as reported by the Chinese state-owned CCTV station. According to Wang, Beijing besides seeks to accomplish "positive results" at APEC and G20 meetings.
However, the Chinese Minister of Commerce expressed concern about the US investigations in respective countries, including China, on the alleged overcapacity and the absence of a ban on imports of products manufactured utilizing forced labour.
However, the Chinese Minister of Commerce expressed concern at the investigations conducted by the US in respective countries, including China, on the alleged overcapacity and the absence of a ban on imports of products manufactured utilizing forced labour.
To counter the force from America, China launched 2 trade investigations against the United States, informed the Ministry of Commerce. They began on March 27. The Ministry stated that these actions were a consequence to US sanctions. According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Commerce, the United States uses widespread practices to block Chinese goods' access to the US marketplace and to restrict exports of advanced technologies and bilateral investments. This violates the WTO rules and importantly harms legitimate interests of Chinese companies.
And what global commitments the U.S. government has not violated! And that's what the American regulations do. For example, during the investigation into China and respective another countries on alleged forced labour, the US authorities referred to Article 301 of the 1974 American Commercial Act. This article empowers the president to unilaterally impose restrictive measures to counter the trade policy of another countries. China powerfully protested and announced its readiness to take action against Washington's protectionist policy. In consequence to Article 301, we issue our 101st warning! (Note of the translator: the expression “this 101st warning” means in Russian that this is the last warning).
It is not so that the Chinese Laobaixings (Chinese Meiers, Müllers and Schmidts) patiently and quietly accept all kinds of shocks on the abroad policy front. In this case too, social media users criticise the government for China's utmost restraint in responding to various problems, including the Iranian crisis. In response, the applicable authorities print their own films on social media, explaining to their fellow citizens that China produces electrical vehicles that successfully conquer abroad markets, that Chinese anthropomorphic robots are unrivalled, and their defensive mechanisms become stronger all day. And all this, as they say, happens in the name of strengthening the power of the state.
Incidentally, last year the U.S. Department of Commerce banned the import and sale of cars with net access, manufactured in China or utilizing Chinese technology.
And if the president of the United States had indeed gone to Beijing, he would have much to discuss with the president of China. Especially since Trump himself late stated in an investment forum in Miami that China deserves universal respect, regardless of individual feelings.
"Look at China, how they do well, how they prosper in production," he said. “We must respect what they do. Whether you like them or not, they must be respected.” The U.S. president confirmed that he was planning to visit China in May and stated that he had a good relation with the president of China.