BEIJING — The Trump administration’s recent actions against China have “directly impacted our mutual trust and cast a shadow over our bilateral relations,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Monday, casting the sudden deterioration in the relationship in surprisingly undiplomatic terms.
Pompeo is on a whistle-stop tour around Asia mainly focused on North Korea’s nuclear program, but upon arrival in Beijing, the agenda swiftly pivoted to the burgeoning acrimony between the world’s two biggest economies, sparked by President Trump’s trade war and fueled by his allegations that the Chinese government is “meddling” in next month’s midterm elections.
“We urge the U.S. to stop such misguided activities,” Wang told Pompeo at the start of a meeting, citing the “escalation” of trade friction, actions towards Taiwan and “criticizing China’s internal and external policies.”
“We believe that we need to keep our relationship on the right track,” a stern-faced Wang told his American counterpart.
Pompeo responded by saying that Washington and Beijing were stuck in a “fundamental disagreement” that he hoped they could make some progress on resolving. He lamented Beijing’s recent decision not to attend the strategic dialogue between the two countries’ defense secretaries planned for the middle of this month, saying that the forum was an “important opportunity” for discussion.
Before reporters were ushered from the room, Pompeo focused instead on what the two sides agreed on: the importance of denuclearizing of North Korea.
Two of the five people on the American side of the meeting table dealt with North Korea — new special representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun and National Security Council advisor Allison Hooker — reflecting Pompeo’s desired focus.
[Secretary of State Pompeo reassures Japan on the way to meet Kim in North Korea]
Relations between Beijing and Washington have taken a sharp turn for the worse in the last month, as the tit-for-tat trade war that has seen both sides slapping tariffs on a broad range of each others’ products, and both sides vowing to stand their ground.
That trade war has overflowed into other areas.
The supposedly autonomous Chinese territory of Hong Kong last month declined a scheduled port visit by U.S. Navy ship, and a Chinese admiral canceled a planned visit to the U.S. Just last week, China pulled out of a planned top-level defense meeting.
Meanwhile, Trump has accused Beijing of “meddling” in the upcoming mid-terms by running a four-page editorial-style supplement in the Des Moines Register, trying to tap into Iowa farmers’ frustration over the tariffs.
China hit back angrily, implying that it is the United States that has a track record of meddling in other countries’ business.
Then in a speech last week, Vice President Pence issued a broad indictment of the methods behind China’s rise to becoming a major economic power, asserting in a sharply critical speech that Beijing has sought to undermine U.S. interests across the globe.
Speaking at the conservative Hudson Institute, Pence accused China of using trade, diplomatic overtures and military expansion to spread its influence, and he called on American business leaders, academic scholars and journalists to counter Beijing’s campaign.
Trump “will not back down” from the challenge, Pence said. He added that China “wants a different American president” and that the nation “is meddling in America’s democracy” ahead of the midterm elections, he said.
The speech further inflamed tensions.
“For Chinese people, kindness and hatred are clearly distinguished,” Zhu Feng, dean of the School of International Relations at Nanjing University said in a piece in the Guangming Daily newspaper Monday, under the headline “China’s modernization is not a gift from the United States.”
“We will not forget America’s help and support to China in modern and contemporary history, but Mr. Pence cannot be ‘superior’ for having helped China previously,” Zhu said. “We also need to clarify facts about the history of China-U.S. relations.”
In the same piece, Chen Dingding of Jinan University in Guangzhou said China had developed under its own steam to become the economic giant it is today. “Today, it is time for the United States to accept a different and powerful China, no matter how uncomfortable it will be for the United States,” he said.
[Pence says China is trying to undermine Trump because it ‘wants a different American president’ ]
Earlier, while still in Seoul, Pompeo’s delegation said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had invited inspectors to visit the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, which was blown up earlier this year as a sign of Pyongyang’s commitment to the diplomatic process.
The inspectors had been invited to “confirm that it has been irreversibly dismantled,” a State Department spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, said in a statement. North Korea had committed to this previously but has been resistant to allowing international inspectors to visit sites it has claimed have been dismantled.
However, she made no mention of the Yongbyon nuclear facility, the site where North Korea has been making the fissile material used in its bombs.
Still, analysts said it would be a welcome development.
“Allowing inspectors at Punggye-ri would be an important test of North Korea’s willingness to subject its facilities to verification,” said Adam Mount, a senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists.
Pompeo said he had “productive talks” with Kim in Pyongyang on Sunday, with the pair reportedly agreeing to hold a summit between Kim and Trump as soon as possible.
Pompeo and Kim met for about two hours and then had a 90-minute lunch together. South Korea later said the two men agreed to a second Kim-Trump summit “at the earliest possible date.”
“It’s good to see you again,” Pompeo told Kim as the two men shook hands for the cameras before lunch. The secretary of state then put his hand on Kim’s shoulder, and the pair smiled.
“Well, I am really pleased for this opportunity. After having a nice meeting, we can enjoy a meal together,” Kim said.
As the pair sat for lunch, Kim said, “It’s a very nice day that promises a good future for both countries.”
Pompeo said he had a “great visit” and a “very successful morning,” adding that Trump sent his regards. Both men spoke through interpreters.
Denyer reported from Tokyo. Yang Liu in Beijing and John Hudson in Washington contributed reporting.
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Pompeo, Kim Jong Un agree to hold 2nd summit with Trump as soon as possible
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