By Independent News Roundup
Marcia Baker - President Donald Trump meeting with Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi. Credit: White House
The summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), including leaders of 11 member countries and invited nations,
ended Oct. 28 in Malaysia, while meantime, delegations are starting to
arrive in South Korea for the Oct. 31-Nov.1 meeting of Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC), involving 21 member nations. These
convocations, along with important side meetings and accords—for
example, between ASEAN and India, ASEAN and China, and others—take place
in an Asia which is in the midst of a profound transformation, marked
by collaboration for beneficial projects, trade, and multi-national
relations.
The countdown of arrangements is now fully underway for the important meeting Thursday, Oct. 30, in the old Korean capital of Gyeongiu, of China’s President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump. In several ways, this meeting in eastern Asia places them in the domain of the extraordinary international deliberation that took place the first week of September, in China and Russia, where dozens of leaders conferred during the sequence of three gatherings from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tianjin, to the Beijing 80th anniversary of victory in World War II, to Vladivostok, for the Eastern Economic Forum.
Trump began his week-long Asian tour Oct. 26 in Malaysia, to attend the U.S.-ASEAN summit, where he met with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is committed to developing trade relations with China and strengthening the BRICS, which it joined as a partner country on Jan. 1 of this year. This week it is proposed that Malaysia become a full member of the BRICS.
Nine of the eleven BRICS nations participated in the ASEAN summit, with varying delegations. Of those, Indonesia is an ASEAN member, the others were guests, and included South Africa’s President Ramaphosa, India’s Prime Minister Modi (who participated by video), China’s Premier Li Qiang, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Overchuk, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, and others. This occasion marked the first-ever Brazilian participation. Trump had a very timely discussion with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, who, it is hoped, briefed the American leader on the acute dangers of his anti-China policy in South America.
Today President Trump was in Japan, where the U.S. has 120 military installations and 50,000 troops stationed. Defense matters, along with trade, figured in his trip. He gave an address to the troops on the USS George Washington, under a huge banner reading “Peace Through Strength.” He was joined in this by Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. But there are multiple angles to their discussions. She has already delivered a few shocks since recently taking office. In her first address to the National Diet parliament on Oct. 24, she announced her government’s intention to resolve its long-standing territorial dispute with Russia and to reach a peace treaty with Moscow. As for China, she emphasized the need to foster “constructive and stable ties” with Beijing, and had already announced, contrary to expectations, that she would not support Washington’s trade war against the Asian giant.
Tomorrow, President Trump will be in Seoul for a state visit. South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung, in office since June, hopes to improve relations with both China and North Korea, and is now attempting to obtain a reduction of the sweeping tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Following the visit of the U.S. President, Lee will host this year’s APEC meeting, over Oct. 31-Nov. 1. A month from now, Lee will host President Xi Jinping for a state visit.
These activities are part of the immediate backdrop to the Trump-Xi summit. On the U.S.-China trade front, after intense talks were held between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China’s chief trade negotiator Li Chenggang, a few days ago, Bessent announced Oct. 26 that “a very successful framework” had been created. Li told reporters on Oct. 27 that a “preliminary consensus” had been reached. Under that framework, there are to be such measures as the U.S. reportedly withdrawing the threat of imposing a 100% tariff on Chinese exports, and China not implementing a worldwide export-control regime, and likely resuming purchases of U.S. soybeans. Thus, progress appears to have been made, but it is up to the respective Presidents to examine the conditions and make the final decisions.
However, beyond trade and tariff considerations, there is much more at stake for the world in the evolution of U.S.-China relations. This is best taken as an opportunity for great power collaboration by the Global North in the drive by the Global Majority for development, which is the basis for peace in the world.
There is no “standing invitation” for such positive relations that can last indefinitely. Threats of war, even nuclear exchange, worsen. In Europe, the crazed militarization drive now has an increasingly loud demand for more nuclear arms-sharing between the U.K. and Germany. In the Western Hemisphere, U.S. forces are escalating their military presence, threats to Venezuela, and pirate-style hits in international waters.
Citizens activating everywhere can make the critical difference in mobilizing against this destruction and doom, and for policies serving humanity. Of great interest in that respect is the initiative by Pope Leo XIV, in his speech in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 25, referring to the historic “contributions of Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa,” in particular his concept of the coincidentia oppositorum, or Coincidence of Opposites, as a method of resolving conflicts. It would certainly be most opportune if Presidents Xi and Trump were to apply it in their discussions this week.
Plan to participate in the international conference of the Schiller Institute and Solidarité et Progrès on Nov. 8-9 in Paris, either in person or over the internet. Please register at: https://solidariteetprogres.fr/spip.php?article16972
—Christine Schier contributed to this article.
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