President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are preparing for a summit scheduled next month, in an attempt to stabilize relations between Washington and Beijing. However, a series of strategic divergences suggest that the dialogue will take place in a fragile climate.
According to a Bloomberg analysis, the two sides are simultaneously trying to consolidate their positions in sensitive areas, such as energy and technology, which amplifies tensions ahead of the meeting.
Pressures related to Iran
The American administration has recently intensified pressure on the economic relations between China and Iran, imposing sanctions on a Chinese refinery. Officials in Washington have warned that Chinese financial institutions could be targeted by secondary sanctions if Beijing continues to indirectly support the Iranian economy.
For the United States, limiting Iran’s oil exports – largely directed towards China – is seen as a tool of diplomatic pressure.
Technological competition
In parallel, tensions are also expanding in the technological field. Beijing recently blocked a transaction of approximately two billion dollars in which Meta Platforms was trying to acquire a Chinese startup in the field of artificial intelligence, signaling the desire to maintain control over advanced technologies.
Chinese authorities have introduced new rules aimed at discouraging the relocation of supply chains outside the country and limiting the impact of American restrictions on technology exports.
Analysts describe the relationship between the two powers as being structurally tense, comparable to “two tectonic plates” in slow, but constant motion.
Details, HERE