Xi Thinks He Has Trump's Number

This time, the Chinese leader believes he has cracked the code.Xi has thrown out China's traditional diplomatic playbook and tailored a new one specifically for Trump, said people close to Chinese policy makers, who describe Xi as appearing confident and emboldened. The new strategy, these people said, embraces Trump's self-image as a master dealmaker, offering concessions on high-visibility issues he personally cares about, such as the fate of popular video-sharing app Tik-Tok.But when the Trump administration hits China, Xi has decided to hit back even harder, in a bid to gain leverage over Trump while projecting strength and unpredict ability-qualities he believes the U.S. president admires, the people said. The two leaders are set to meet next Thursday in South Korea.Xi's strategic evolution takes a page from Trump's own "maximum pressure" playbook of using the threat of overwhelming economic sanctions to get his way against adversaries and friends alike. According to those familiar with Beijing's thinking, while China's reactions to U.S. trade assaults were often proportional in the past, its countermeasures now are designed to be more severe."During Trump's first term, China was constantly put off balance by his pressure tactics," said Kurt Campbell, former deputy secretary of state under President Joe Biden and now chairman of the Asia Group, an advisory firm in Washington."This time, Xi wanted to be prepared. He knows Trump wants a good relationship with him and respects strength, not concessions." Power play The most powerful example of the new strategy came early this month when Washington and Beijing were trying to finalize the South Korea summit.Just when relations seemed on the mend, Xi dropped a bombshell: He directed his government to hit back at a recent U.S. export-control action-and do so with unprecedented force, according to the people close to Beijing.

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Xi Thinks He Has Trump's Number