Many observers have attributed the omission to timing: Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in April. But a closer look suggests that Trump’s careful approach to China reflects two important domestic factors: an internal Republican battle over tariffs – intensified by a recent Supreme Court ruling against his tariff authority – and the looming midterm elections later this year.
Trump’s upcoming trip to Beijing will be the first by a sitting American president since his own visit in 2017. He has repeatedly touted his “excellent relationship” with Xi. Earlier this month, Trump described a phone call between the two leaders as “very positive” and their relationship as “extremely good.”
