With the end of the war between the United States and Iran again shrouded in uncertainty, the U.S.-China summit set to begin November 14 in Beijing is increasingly likely to mark a critical turning point for the Iran war. That is why the U.S. president's visit to China and the summit, finally arranged after eight years and six months since November 2017 during Donald Trump's first term, have taken on even greater significance. The White House officially announced on November 10 that President Trump will make a state visit to China for three days and two nights starting November 13. During the visit, Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at least six times, discussing not only an extension of the "trade war truce" but also a broad range of issues including the reset of economic and trade relations with China, advanced technology matters such as artificial intelligence (AI), and diplomatic and security issues including nuclear arms reduction and Taiwan.
Another agenda item that has rapidly emerged as a core issue at the summit is finding an exit from the deadlocked Iran war. On the same day, Trump said Iran's response to the U.S. peace proposal was "completely unacceptable." The indirect U.S.-Iran negotiations mediated by Pakistan are effectively on the verge of collapse. With Trump pressuring Iran by saying he "could attack for two more weeks," even the maintenance of the ceasefire has become uncertain. In this context, Trump is likely to press Xi, whom he has identified as Iran's "backer," to have China exert its influence to end the war during their talks. This means the U.S.-China summit could open a breakthrough for ending the Iran war.
The U.S.-China summit is also directly linked to South Korea's economy and security. Global trade and supply chain order, energy security, and the Northeast Asian political landscape all hinge on the outcome of this summit. While the initially raised possibility of a "surprise" meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Trump has diminished, the issue of North Korea, which is accelerating its nuclear development, could also come up on the two leaders' table. Ahead of this critical summit, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are reportedly scheduled to meet in South Korea on November 13 for preliminary coordination. This is a golden opportunity to strengthen South Korea's diplomatic standing in the international community and advance national interests, yet it is frustrating that our government has failed to even arrange meetings with high-level U.S. and Chinese officials. We expect our government to play an active role so that the meeting in South Korea serves as a catalyst for a successful U.S.-China summit, while ensuring South Korea is not "passed over" in the reshaping of the international order led by the United States and China.
