Trump’s high-level welcome for Xi is ‘political currency’, says analyst

United States President Donald Trump’s personal welcome for Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington on Sep 23 is a low-cost gesture that carries political value for the Chinese leader, says Drew Thompson, senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Speaking to CNA’s Asia Now, Thompson says the positive optics do not erase deep differences between the two sides. He adds that substantive outcomes would largely have been worked out by officials beforehand, describing Xi as “a closer” rather than a negotiator.

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