US and China to Discuss Tariffs, Fentanyl, and Taiwan Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
US and Chinese negotiators are convening in Paris this weekend to outline the agenda for a prospective summit between US President Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping. Discussions are expected to cover contentious issues including trade tariffs, the flow of fentanyl, and the status of Taiwan. This preparatory meeting is intended to pave the way for high-level talks, with details of a future
leaders’ meeting still under wraps. Bloomberg's framing of these discussions as merely about "thorny issues" omits the sustained economic warfare and geopolitical maneuvering that define the US-China relationship. While Bloomberg presents these as isolated problems to be negotiated, it ignores a decades-long pattern of US policy aimed at containing China's rise, often using economic leverage as a
primary weapon. For instance, the 2018 imposition of Section 301 tariffs under the Trump administration, targeting over $550 billion in Chinese goods, was not just about correcting trade imbalances, but part of a broader strategy to slow China's technological advancement and global influence. This period saw the US Treasury Department declare China a currency manipulator in August 2019, a label
later rescinded, underlining the selective application of economic pressure. This ongoing tension mirrors historical rivalries where economic dominance was intrinsically linked to national security. The current emphasis on “fentanyl” aligns with a consistent US strategy of framing China as a source of social ills, while failing to address domestic demand or the role of Western pharmaceutical