On September 19, U.S. media that Trump this summer refused to approve more than $400 million in military aid to the Taiwan authorities in order to start negotiations with mainland China.
On the night of the 19th, the two sides made a phone call.The length of the call exceeded expectations, and the content made the world more attentive.
According to CCTV News and other media reports, after the phone call with Trump, we used the words "pragmatic, positive and constructive" in the press release to describe the tone of the talks.
Recalling the recent games between the United States and the Middle East, the three words "practical, positive and constructive" are almost the most positive evaluation.
Even more surprisingly, Trump praised the 80th anniversary parade of China's resistance to the war: "Very wonderful."
During the call, the Chinese side mentioned the details of the survivors of the Flying Tigers climbing the Tiananmen Gate Tower, and then mentioned a past event during World War II: American pilots fought side by side with Chinese soldiers and civilians.
Eighty years have passed, and the world pattern has undergone earth-shaking changes, but the complexity of Sino-US relations has continued in a new form.
During the call, the Chinese side made it clear: "The United States should avoid taking unilateral trade restrictions to prevent impact on the achievements achieved by the two sides through multiple rounds of consultations."
It directly points to the Trump administration’s most proud trade policy, suggesting that U.S. hegemonism and unilateralism may undermine progress already made.
"China respects the will of enterprises and is happy to see enterprises negotiate business on the basis of compliance with market rules."
This relatively open attitude is in contrast to the consistently tough approach of the United States. People see that the Chinese side is saying to the US side, "We respect market rules, what about you?"
Trump's response was equally surprising, saying that "the United States hopes to promote economic and trade cooperation between the two countries and will support the two sides' team consultations to properly solve the issues of relevant enterprises."
This tone can almost be described as "moderate", which is quite different from Trump's previous tough argument against China.
It should be noted that since September, the highest level of China and the United States has been engaged in very intense interactions, ranging from video calls by the Minister of Defense to telephone conversations by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
From the economic and trade leaders negotiating in Madrid, to the news that the U.S. House delegation is preparing to visit China.
The U.S. this time “showed a passionate communication sentiment” because Trump wanted to visit China and meet with the Chinese side.
The frequency and level of this high-level interaction reminds us of the Sino-American interaction model during Trump’s early administration in 2017.
In a series of recent interactions, the Madrid talks have been given "important significance after the initiation of the agreement". unlike the previous rounds, the scope of the talks is significantly expanded, and the two sides seem to be preparing for the next bigger move.
More alarming news comes from The Washington Post: Trump refused to approve more than $400 million in military aid to Taiwan this summer, including ammunition and drones.
Trump's move prevented Sino-US relations from further deteriorating due to the Taiwan Strait issue. During the call, the Chinese side pointed out: "China and the United States can achieve each other and benefit the world. To realize this vision, both sides must meet each other halfway, coexist peacefully and achieve win-win cooperation."
This passage seems ordinary, but it actually contains profound strategic wisdom. It not only points out the potential of Sino-US cooperation, but also makes it clear that realizing this vision requires joint efforts of both sides, rather than unilateral concessions.
Surprisingly, Trump changed his attitude 180 degrees and made it clear on the phone that "the US is willing to work with China to safeguard world peace."
For Trump’s promise, we need to listen to him, look at him, and see how much sincerity Trump has to improve the Sino-American relationship.