Buildings and structures are seen on the artificial island built by China in Mischief Reef in Spratly Islands, South China Sea. China has progressively asserted its claim of ownership over disputed islands in the South China Sea by artificially increasing the size of islands, creating new islands and building ports, military outposts and airstrips. The South China sea is an important trade route and is of significant interest as geopolitical tensions remain high in the region. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)
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President Trump is going to China this week to meet with Xi Jinping. The big thing Trump must always keep in mind is that Xi is absolutely adamant that China ultimately replace the U.S. as the globe’s dominant power. Serious economic problems and disquieting turmoil within China’s military leadership has not deterred Xi in the least from what he sees as his historic mission. For instance, China is still building manmade military islands in the South China Sea in its quest to turn that crucial international artery into a Chinese-controlled body of water.
President Trump and his team must not be lulled by any upbeat atmospherics from this unforgettable reality about Xi. The Trump-Xi get-together should close with Xi having no illusions that the U.S. is going to reduce its historic role as a strong Pacific power.
Here’s what the President should do to make this summit a strategic success.
To forcefully make the point that the U.S. isn’t in an appeasement frame of mind, the president should immediately order the full-scale resumption of hostilities against Iran. The U.S. and Israel should complete the destruction of the intended targets, as well as destroy Iran’s crucial oil shipment facilities at Kharg Island.
In fact, the president should tell Xi that he had no choice but to block oil shipments to China, explain why and then ask for Xi’s help in opening the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that the Strait will be open to all legitimate international shipping. Trump should make clear that the U.S. is firmly wedded to its more than two-centuries’ policy of freedom of navigation. To that end, the U.S. will, if necessary, help the Philippines resist China’s bullying over areas that are internationally recognized as under the sway of Manila.
The ceasefire with Iran was a huge mistake. It convinced the terrorists running Iran that Washington wanted an end to the war because of economic and political pressures, domestically and internationally.
Other moves to disabuse Xi of American resolve should include Trump’s stopping by Japan on his way to China, declaring that the U.S. is going through with intended arms sales to Taiwan and proclaiming publicly that we will indeed be contracting with South Korean and Japanese shipyards to help rebuild our navy. Moreover, Xi should be under no illusion that our diplomatic language regarding the status of Taiwan will change, not even by a comma.
In addition, we’ll go after Chinese-linked hackers and Chinese companies deemed to be security risks to the U.S., as well as resisting Chinese efforts to steal our technology.
On the happy side, President Trump should offer big tariff cuts if Beijing not only resumes its customary purchases of our products but also substantially increases its overall volume and agrees to the release of free-speech champion Jimmy Lai, now languishing in prison on trumped up charges. We’ll also be open to welcoming even more genuine students to the U.S. Needless to say, we won’t tolerate Beijing’s setting up secret police facilities to intimidate those students.
The key goal must be to disabuse Beijing of the notion that Washington is pulling back from the international role it assumed after WWII. Such a misconception could lead to the kinds of miscalculations that lead to war.