President Donald Trump has spoken with 16 world leaders since he took office, but Chinese President Xi Jinping has yet to receive a call.
The U. S.-China bilateral relationship has traditionally been regarded as one of the world\u2019s most important relationships \u2014 both Trump and the Chinese government have said as much, yet the last time Trump and Xi spoke was shortly after the election, when Xi warned that \u201ccooperation is the only correct choice.\u201d
Trump connected with Japan, South Korea and Australia \u2014 the key players in the alliance-based Asia Pacific security structure. He has also spoken with Russia and European partners, such as the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
He has talked to Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, India, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Since the election, Trump has spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe three times, and the prime minister is scheduled to stop by the White House for a visit next Friday.
China has not received a call. China, a country obsessed with its status and recognition as a great power, may interpret that as an intended slight by the new administration.
When Barack Obama took office in 2009, he called then-Chinese President Hu Jintao within a matter of days to develop \u201ca more positive and constructive U. S.-China relationship.\u201d
Since the election, Trump has run roughshod over some of China\u2019s \u201ccore interests\u201d and sensitive issues, attacking China for engaging in unfair trading practices, manipulating its currency, and building massive fortresses in the South China Sea. He has also engaged Taiwan and repeatedly threatened the future of the one-China policy, which China considers a \u201cprerequisite for the development of relations between China and the rest of the world.\u201d
Trump\u2019s assaults on China\u2019s national interests have raised alarms in Beijing, leading some to advise preparing for confrontation and eventual conflict.
Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited Seoul and Tokyo to reassure longstanding U. S. allies. The decisions to move forward on the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile shield on South Korean soil and declare the disputed Senkaku\/Diaoyu Islands covered by the U. S.-Japanese security agreement infuriated Beijing, further raising tensions between the new administration and China.
Xi\u2019s \u201cChinese Dream,\u201d which calls for the \u201cgreat revitalization of the Chinese nation,\u201d and Trump\u2019s desire to \u201cmake America great again\u201d through \u201cAmerica first\u201d policies may be at odds.
The White House asserts that Trump\u2019s interactions with world leaders \u201cemphasize his priority of American national security.\u201d
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