March 11, 2025 (EIRNS)—A visit by a Chinese delegation headed by former Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai, to a variety of ”think tanks” in the U.S., is being undertaken in an attempt to determine how to move the U.S.-China relationship forward. Statements by Donald Trump, and a variety of press reports, indicate that Trump would like President Xi Jinping to come to Mar-a-Lago, Florida, as he had done in Trump’s last term, for a “friendly” visit. In the light of the heightened tensions, however, the Chinese side has expressed that it would be more important for Trump to visit China, and probably for a formal state visit. An “intimate” meeting at the President’s home would not be appropriate, given the present “hard line” being practiced on Chinese goods. And the situation is such that even an invitation to visit China may require somewhat more cordial tones coming from Washington.
Given recent reporting, it seems that the financial issue is even more significant than trade, in the relations between the two countries. Trump seems intent on bringing down the value of the dollar, while China, which still holds significant Treasury bills, would suffer losses by any devaluation of the dollar. Trump’s attempt to make cryptocurrency an alternative to the dollar as a reserve currency, which could lead to the total collapse of the dollar, is viewed with great concern by China. China has, in fact, decided to stop “mining operations” for cryptocurrency. The still-unconfirmed story in the Chinese press, about the U.S. refusal to release the gold holdings of China held in American banks, would also play into this scenario.
