How will Moscow and Beijing play Trump?

Pars Today - An American media outlet wrote: Donald Trump’s dream of executing his “art of the deal” in his relations with China and Russia is turning into a tool in the hands of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to advance their own interests and weaken the United States.

According to Pars Today, the American newspaper The Hill, in an article pointing to the excessive confidence of U.S. President Donald Trump in his negotiation skills, stated that Moscow and Beijing will use Trump’s blind arrogance to their advantage and play him.

The Hill wrote that Trump justifies the significant tariff increases by claiming that America’s economic partners and allies are “greedy and opportunistic.” Recently, during the announcement of “Economic Freedom Day,” he said: “To be honest, friends have often been far worse than enemies.” Trump had previously stated: “The European Union was created to fleece America.”

However, Trump has placed the responsibility for this situation not on foreign governments but on previous U.S. administrations, boasting about his negotiation skills. He claims that by adopting extreme positions at the start of negotiations, he throws the other side off balance, ultimately forcing them to settle for fewer concessions.

According to The Hill, Trump’s double standards in foreign policy are nowhere more evident than in his handling of the Ukraine issue. After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to an incomplete deal with the United States, Trump unilaterally changed and toughened its terms, as if intending to punish Zelensky for his initial resistance.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin continued the game with Trump’s naivety, announcing that he “in principle” welcomed a ceasefire, provided its details be reviewed at some unspecified future date. While pushing forward with the negotiation plan, the Kremlin continued its gradual occupation of new areas in Ukraine, simultaneously adding new conditions to its list for talks. In the end, the Russian government sent a mocking portrait of Trump—commissioned by Trump himself—to Washington, playing him while praising his “art of negotiation.”

Beijing, poised to exploit Trump’s narcissism
The Hill further writes that this game has undoubtedly caught the attention of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who, according to the report, will soon find an opportunity to test “Trump’s geopolitical backbone.” The American outlet claims that Xi’s first step will be to flatter Trump, making him believe this flattery is a sign of friendship. 

In the next step, Chinese military officials will threaten readiness for nuclear war with the United States. Finally, Xi Jinping will declare that he and “his American friend” can prevent such a catastrophe through negotiation.

MG/UR