Home › Politics & Law › Trump-Putin Helsinki summit is a big deal to China, too

Trump-Putin Helsinki summit is a big deal to China, too

By keith K C Hui on July 25, 2018 • ( 3 )

President Trump and President Putin in Helsinki Summit 2018 (photo from news.com.au)

The 2-hour talk in private between Trump and Putin without any American official except Trump’s interpreter is the major reason why the Trump-Putin Helsinki summit is exceptionally important.

Further provoked by what Trump said at the press conference after the summit, the American critics bombarded their president on all kinds of media, and the harshest view is that “If this is not treason, then what is it?”

Then, a powerful “Russophobic” mood emerged in Washington. What next is that “Trump’s interpreter Marina Gross and her role in the Putin Helsinki meeting is being scrutinized … If summoned by Congress, Gross — the only other American in the room with Trump and Putin during the meeting — may have to reveal the private details of the discussion between both leaders …”

While the conversation is important to both the United States and Russia, China is also concerned for at least two reasons.

First, China is at most a regional power, and is far far away from being able to challenge the United States’ hegemony. Although economically China is stronger than Russia, the former relies on the latter in respect of military technology and natural resources (e.g. gas and metal, and do not forget that Russia and the US are members of the Arctic Council where China is not).

Second, even though Trump cannot get re-elected and all his plans or promises will vanish after 2020, Putin and his successors would probably structure a new thought about Russia’s leadership role in the world arena, thus somehow generating certain impacts on China’s long term plans.

There are too many unknowns. Whatever, China’s global influence should not be over-estimated or exaggerated. China is still a developing country with below world’s average GDP per capita. Russia will remain a mighty player in the world, and the big brother of China.

The opinions expressed are those of the author, and not necessarily those of China Daily Mail.