Michael Pillsbury: Trump's China Strategy is Working Amidst Key Concessions

Evaluating China's Recent Actions

• 💡 The Chinese foreign minister's retraction of previous statements and emphasis on cooperation with the US is a significant and striking concession.
• 🎯 The Chinese Commerce Minister's willingness to start trade talks with President Trump, achieved within 1.5 months, is another notable concession.
• ⚠️ Progress is still needed on the fentanyl precursors issue, where China's white paper did not go far enough and dismissed tariffs as a flimsy excuse.
• 🚢 A lack of progress is also observed regarding China's military exercises around Taiwan, which are described as rehearsals for invasion.

China's Complex Identity

• 🎭 China is described as all of the above: a trading partner, an enemy, and more.
• 📚 President Trump has long viewed China as a major threat, recognizing their sophisticated negotiation tactics.
• 🤝 The previous trade deal negotiated in Trump's first term, though comprehensive, was not honored by China, and the Biden administration has not addressed this.

Strategic Timelines and Future Intentions

• ⏳ The perception that China thinks in centuries while the US thinks in four-year terms suggests their current concessions might be a delaying tactic.
• 🧐 It remains to be seen what China's true intentions are, as the US will need to observe how these talks and concessions play out.
• 🌍 The concept of China working towards global hegemony and fulfilling a destiny to control everything under heaven is discussed, referencing Michael Pillsbury's book, 'The Hundred-Year Marathon'.