ANALYSIS By Alexey Maslov, director of Institute of Asian and African Studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University
Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration, despite the latter’s repeated claims that he would invite him. However, Han Zheng, the vice president of the People’s Republic of China, attended in his stead. While Han holds a formal role, the more significant figure is Li Qiang, chairman of the Chinese government.
This sends a clear message: China is waiting for the US to make an offer. Trump, for his part, has stated he intends to “fine-tune” relations with Beijing. Yet, his previous term and campaign rhetoric indicate a desire to curb China’s development, particularly in advanced technology.
Trump’s primary aim is not merely to hinder China economically, as some believe, but to reshape its development model so that it no longer poses a threat to the US. He aims to restrict the transfer of certain technologies that could allow China to surpass the US, especially in fields such as artificial intelligence, microchip production, and biotechnology.
Another priority for Trump is to keep competitive Chinese products out of the American market. This will likely mean continuing or even escalating sanctions against major Chinese companies such as Huawei and Xiaomi. However, it is evident that Trump is using these sanctions as leverage, building up a range of measures against China to strengthen his negotiating position.
Several key issues are likely to dominate Trump-Xi discussions. While TikTok was mentioned during their recent phone call, the platform is not expected to be a primary focus. Instead, more pressing topics such as Taiwan and the Ukraine conflict are likely to take center stage. Trump may seek to use Taiwan as leverage against China, testing the extent to which the US can push on this issue.
On Ukraine, the US is wary of allowing China to claim the spotlight by playing a prominent role in resolving the conflict. Trump will likely aim to prevent China from gaining diplomatic prestige as a peacemaker. Moreover, he will probably attempt to drive a wedge between Russia and China, weakening their partnership. Given Russia’s energy supplies, food exports, and political support, such a split could have significant implications for China.
Although TikTok itself may not be a critical issue, it represents a unique case in US-China relations. TikTok is China’s only globally successful multimedia platform, unlike other Chinese social networks, which have struggled to break into Western markets. Blocking or taking control of TikTok would strike a financial blow to Chinese companies and hurt Beijing’s soft power.
This dynamic underscores how the US is leveraging every possible tool to challenge China’s rise. Trump’s broader strategy appears focused on isolating China while exploiting trade and technological dependencies to maintain American supremacy. However, the task of balancing confrontation with negotiation will test Trump’s ability to deliver on his promises. Whether this approach will succeed remains to be seen, but it is clear that the Trump administration’s policies will reshape US-China relations for years to come.
Returning to TikTok, this is probably the first time in the history of relations, perhaps even in the modern market, that one country is literally trying to take away a social network from another country.
This article was first published by the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta and was translated and edited by the RT team
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