Media Lens<\/a>, analyst Hafidh Ibrahim said the meeting reflects an attempt to manage long-standing tensions between the world\u2019s two largest economies, which have been locked in a prolonged trade dispute.<\/p>\n\u201cThe current visit is trying to smooth over these tensions, to try and find a way to relate,\u201d Hafidh Deen said, adding that any outcome is likely to be limited and fail to address the deeper structural causes of friction between Washington and Beijing.<\/p>\n
He noted that the consequences of the summit will extend far beyond the two countries due to global trade linkages, technology supply chains, and wider energy market instability. For countries such as South Africa, the effects could be significant, influencing the currency, inflation, fuel prices, and broader trade relationships.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe US and China are our top two trading partners. Any sanctions, secondary sanctions, threats of sanctions, especially from the US, impacts our relationships and economic growth,\u201d Hafidh Ibrahim explained.<\/p>\n
Analysts say that despite deep disagreements, both powers will need to find ways to co-exist, even under leaders with contrasting political styles and approaches to foreign policy.<\/p>\n
A major point of tension remains US arms sales to Taiwan. Beijing is expected to closely monitor Washington\u2019s position on the issue as it assesses long-term US commitments to regional security.<\/p>\n
The immediate source of friction is a $11,2 billion US arms package recently approved for Taiwan, including anti-ship missiles, long-range radar systems, and air-defence upgrades. China has condemned the deal as a violation of prior diplomatic understandings and a step toward legitimising Taiwanese independence.<\/p>\n
Beijing maintains that Taiwan is part of China under its long-standing \u201cOne China\u201d policy, which underpins its foreign relations stance. It strongly opposes any foreign military support for Taiwan or moves toward formal independence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Chinese have always been opposed to arming Taiwan and any moves towards Taiwanese independence,\u201d Hafidh Ibrahim said, adding that Beijing views Taiwan as central to US efforts to contain China\u2019s influence in the Pacific through the \u201cfirst island chain,\u201d which includes Japan and South Korea.<\/p>\n
While the issue is expected to be raised during the summit, Ibrahim said significant policy changes are unlikely. He argued that China sees US foreign policy under Trump as transactional and subject to rapid reversal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about managing this,\u201d he said, suggesting Beijing will pursue a long-term strategy aimed at strengthening its leverage over Taiwan politically, economically, and militarily.<\/p>\n
Beyond Taiwan, Ibrahim cautioned against viewing the summit purely as a geopolitical contest between two rival superpowers. He said media narratives often overlook deeper structural dynamics shaping the relationship.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a Trump perspective, it is very superficial theatre,\u201d he said, noting that while limited agreements on tariffs or negotiations may emerge, China is likely to approach the talks more cautiously and strategically.<\/p>\n
According to Ibrahim, Beijing is seeking to project itself as a stable and predictable global actor willing to engage in negotiations, particularly in contrast to what it views as US policy inconsistency.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina sees this meeting as a way of actually showing that they\u2019re advocating negotiations,\u201d he said, adding that this forms part of its broader effort to expand global influence through a more rules-based image.<\/p>\n
The summit has also revived debate about whether the world is shifting toward a bipolar system dominated by Washington and Beijing. Ibrahim said this could resemble Cold War dynamics, where global competition plays out indirectly through alliances and regional conflicts.<\/p>\n
For smaller states such as South Africa, this shift presents both risks and opportunities. Countries able to balance relations between the two powers could gain economic and strategic advantages, similar to South Korea and Japan in earlier geopolitical eras.<\/p>\n
The presence of major business figures, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, further highlights the role of technology and trade in shaping US\u2013China relations. Ibrahim said access to China\u2019s vast consumer market, alongside competition in artificial intelligence and semiconductors, remains central to negotiations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Chinese market is a billion people,\u201d he said, adding that AI and chip development are key strategic battlegrounds between the two economies.<\/p>\n
Despite ongoing tensions, both Washington and Beijing appear committed to avoiding direct confrontation while protecting their respective interests. The outcome of the summit is likely to influence global trade, security, and geopolitical alignments well beyond the two-day meeting.<\/p>\n
Listen <\/strong>to the Media Lens<\/a> with Haafidh Ibrahim on Sabaahul Muslim presented by Muallimah Annisa Essack.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"13 May 2026 | 13:50 CAT 4-minute read US President Donald Trump is travelling to Beijing for a high-stakes, two-day state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping from 13 to 15 May 2026. The visit marks the first by a sitting US president to China in nearly a decade. It is being closely watched as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":98476,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4997],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-world"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Media-Lens-1.jpg?fit=375%2C376&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-rxE","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-22 00:26:12","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105874"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105875,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105874\/revisions\/105875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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