Steve Yates said Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit with President Trump is more likely to maintain U.S.-China ties than yield a breakthrough. He urged a focus on fentanyl and said Beijing has long sought to deter U.S. support for Taiwan.
Yates said China agreed last year to restrict exports of some chemicals used to make fentanyl, while the U.S. cut fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese imports from 20% to 10%. He said the flow had not slowed and argued Xi could halt fentanyl production in China “with one phone call.”
Yates said talks could also cover artificial intelligence and extending the current trade truce. He questioned whether China’s military was ready for an operation against Taiwan after Xi’s purges of senior military leaders, while saying the will was there and political warfare was intense. He hoped Trump would move ahead with a proposed Taiwan arms package rather than keep delaying it during the visit.
