Quiet Summit

The big event of the last two or three weeks in terms of US-China relations was the visit by Mr Xi, to Washington. and the talks that he had with Mr Trump. The meetings were remarkable for the almost total lack of any substantive consequences. There was some discussion of trade and tariffs and some about AI, but apart from two pandas being offered to the United States, there was little else that resulted apart from some at least superficial good vibes.

But it was possibly—and then again maybe not—significant that at the press conference that occurred with Mr Xi sitting beside Trump in front of that ridiculously ornate fireplace and mantelpiece, the one topic on which Mr Trump declined to make any comment at all was the island.

There is no information at all about what was said on this topic, beyond the extraordinary information that Mr Trump offered to sell military equipment to China. Many observers, pundits and commentators see the last two years of Mr Trump’s second term as president as being a prime opportunity, if it is indeed the decision to take action. But then again, it’s never entirely clear what position Mr Trump is going to take on any issue. And there are significant groups in both the GOP and on the other side of the aisle in favor of maintaining the status quo.

In fact, the most likely next step in this saga is the forthcoming election, the result of which is going to have a significant impact on the thinking about where things will go. And by that I don’t mean the midterm elections in the United States, but the forthcoming elections on the island, scheduled for November 28. If the KMT does well, then that will send a signal, many observers seem to think, that there is an opportunity for an accommodation and a resolution of the issue in a way that doesn’t involve coercion. Maybe that’s true. And so, we wait. But we’re not waiting anymore for a holiday, which begins tomorrow, and we would like to take this opportunity to wish all our subscribers a very merry October break.