Trump China Visit Ends With Unresolved Trade Tensions

Kathmandu. US President Donald Trump returned home on Friday after concluding his three-day visit to China. Many expectations were placed on his visit.

However, according to analyst Stephen Yang, although some progress was made in the high-level trade talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, many sensitive and controversial issues appeared to be almost completely absent.

Some small trade agreements and general consensus were reached in the talks. But no public discussion or clear decision was seen on the most serious issues of US-China economic competition. This indicates that the deep trade tensions between the two countries still persist.

According to the analysis, the most important absent or unaddressed issues in the talks were international sanctions, technology export controls, and Chinese electric vehicle access to the US market.

These issues are at the center of US-China economic competition. But no concrete public discussion was seen on these in this round of talks.

Neither Country Ready to Back Down Yet

According to analysts, neither the US nor China appeared ready to withdraw the punitive policies imposed on each other. This means that although efforts were made to reduce trade tensions, the structural competition remains as it is. US technology controls and export bans on China are still in place. Similarly, China has also continued its actions targeting American companies and policies.

Middle East tensions have also become a major factor in the current US-China relationship. Issues related to Iran, in particular, have appeared significantly in the background of the talks.

A week before Trump's visit to Beijing, the US government had imposed sanctions on three Chinese satellite companies. The US side had accused those companies of assisting Iran's military activities.

In response, China has reportedly instructed some companies not to comply with US sanctions on oil refineries. This appears to have deepened the sanctions war between the two countries.

Technology and Rare Earth Dispute Remains

Another sensitive issue considered most sensitive in the talks is technology control and policies related to rare earth minerals. These materials are extremely important for modern electronics, semiconductors, and the defense industry.

But no major change was seen on this issue this time either. The US still insists on a policy of limiting China's access to high-end semiconductors and AI technology. This is having a long-term impact on the technological development of both countries. According to analysts, this technological competition is likely to intensify in the coming years.

Another important issue not seen in the talks is the entry of Chinese electric vehicles into the US market. At the beginning of the year, Trump had given open signals about the possibility of allowing Chinese cars into the US market.

Chinese EV companies want to expand their international market due to cheap and advanced technology. But in the US, this issue has become extremely political and security sensitive.

US lawmakers have argued that the entry of Chinese EVs could cause great damage to the domestic auto industry and increase national security risks. Therefore, this issue does not appear to have been formally raised in the talks.