Trump may offer Xi Jinping a deal — expert Yefremov

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"I believe that competition between the U.S. and China is inevitable," he said. "Both countries have adopted approaches to their bilateral relations that frame the other as a rival, competitor, and perhaps even an adversary to some extent. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. and China managed to reach a temporary consensus — a formula aimed at controlling and normalizing relations to avoid crossing certain boundaries and preventing unwanted escalation. However, with a new administration in the White House and a new team in place, it’s time to discuss what actions Trump will take."

Dmytro Yefremov believes that the meeting between the leaders of the United States and China will be bilateral and will take place on neutral territory. 

“You have correctly noted that there are already conversations between the leaders, i.e. conversations have taken place. And you also noted that Trump is planning a meeting. From my point of view, this is how things will go: at such a meeting, which will be organized and will take place, say, on some neutral territory, most likely on a bilateral basis, not a multilateral basis, Trump will try again, just as he did in 2017, to offer Xi Jinping a deal. The specifics of this deal are unclear to us at the moment, but it will definitely be a package deal. It will include all the problems of bilateral U.S.-China relations, and Trump will try to offer it to Xi Jinping,” he said.

The expert noted that the deal Trump proposes will likely be skewed in favor of the United States, making it unlikely for China to accept it.

"It will undoubtedly favor the United States," he said. "The key question will be how the Chinese side responds. China is unlikely to agree to terms that harm its national interests or, more importantly, undermine its leadership as a counterbalance to the United States. The consensus, if any, reached during this meeting will likely shape the future of bilateral relations between the two countries," added Dmytro Yefremov.

• On January 24, reports emerged that China supports the intentions of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to resolve the "Ukrainian crisis" quickly but emphasizes that negotiations are the only viable path to achieve this.