US: Trump’s “state visit plus” to Beijing didn’t go without a gasp - Rabobank

According to analysts at Rabobank, US President Trump’s “state visit plus” to Beijing appears to have gone without a hitch, but it didn’t go without a gasp.

Key Quotes

“There was an audible reaction --and then scattered applause-- from assembled journalists when Trump announced "I don't blame China," when talking to business leaders about the huge and persistent US trade deficit with the county. "After all, who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country for benefit of their citizens? I give China great credit.”

“Understandably, that remark immediately generated much ‘carping’ (a subtle reference back to the Japanese fishpond incident for those who have been reading all week). Wasn’t this outrageous? Wasn’t it a betrayal of his base? Arguably not. Trump was factually correct that the US-China trade deficit is a logical consequence of the economic framework put in place between the two countries, which China has taken full advantage of. Yet don’t think this was a damascene conversion. Trump instead stated “I blame past US administrations for allowing this trade deficit to take place and to grow." In other words, he flattered his hosts and kicked the US Establishment at the same time. Furthermore, does that read like he is going to allow it to continue under the same framework, or act to change it? We shall see, but it appears we got no Big Deal between the US and China on any key matters: trade, power relations, North Korea. All we ended with was friendly copy-and-paste declarations the Sino-US relations.”