U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14. [Reuters=Yonhap News]

Immediately following U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing, domestic media largely interpreted his trip as an attempt to "ask for favors." The narrative was that Trump rushed to China, China met him with a cold reception, and the U.S. was in a position of seeking help.

Such reporting strongly reveals an ingrained "China fantasy" within the Korean media and is detached from reality. The most serious issue is the attitude of the media in confidently asserting details of private summit meetings based on their own assumptions. Diplomatic engagement inherently centers on private negotiations and prior coordination, rather than public appearances.

Yet, some reports speak with certainty as if they had bugged the meeting room, claiming, "Trump conceded on the Taiwan issue," "He requested cooperation on the Iran issue," and "He went to save face for China."

In U.S.-China summit meetings, only a very limited number of agreed-upon points are typically disclosed. The focus is on expressions that can be utilized in domestic politics by both sides, rather than cornering the other. Furthermore, while Trump is known for his spontaneity and exaggerated rhetoric, he is meticulous in managing negotiation information.

China, too, treats the movements of its top leadership and the control of meeting atmospheres as a matter of national strategy. For these two systems to meet, and then for a few Korean broadcasters to cover the summit as if it were a "boxing match" is close to a comedy.

A Quiet Beijing, an Unusual Signal Instead

What was actually observed during this visit was that China did not mobilize massive crowds, stage prolonged live broadcasts, or create an atmosphere of total praise from state media as it might have in the past. If this had been in the early days of the Xi Jinping administration, it would have been overproduced as an "achievement of great power diplomacy." However, the overall atmosphere this time was distinctly restrained and cautious. This strongly suggests that China's internal power dynamics and economic realities are not what they used to be.

It appears Trump entered the lion's den with all preparations made to secure an advantageous position in the negotiations.

Major Korean media outlets remain trapped in the "U.S. decline" frame from 20 years ago. When a U.S. president visits China, a narrative of "audience with the emperor" is automatically constructed. Symbols such as the rank of the greeter at the airport, the protocol route, the duration of handshakes, and the banquet menu are over-interpreted. While symbols are important in diplomacy, reading power dynamics solely through them is naive and dangerous.

The interpretation that "Xi Jinping deliberately lowered the level of reception" was made because the Chinese greeter was limited to the Vice Premier. However, in China's diplomatic protocol system, it is extremely rare for the President himself to personally greet guests at the airport. What is more interesting is the composition of Trump's delegation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and even Elon Musk accompanied him. This signifies a strategic negotiation encompassing technology, security, and the entire industrial supply chain.

The True Meaning of Musk's Presence

Musk's presence, in particular, carries significant symbolic weight. China has showcased its advanced manufacturing competitiveness and success in attracting foreign investment through Tesla, but at the same time, it has provided the U.S. with a channel to deeply scrutinize China's internal advanced industry structure and supply chain dependencies. However, some related reports in Korea remain at the level of a "who smiled more" palace drama interpretation.

Korean media coverage of China is excessively "hope-projecting." It downplays or ignores the Xi Jinping administration's predicament, while fantasies of a "return to China's world order" erupt when a U.S. leader visits Beijing.

To declare "who capitulated" based solely on a few public photos and protocol scenes is closer to internet comments than diplomatic analysis. To discuss private meeting details, one must first understand the actual power structures and negotiation methods of international politics. If one compiles information from domestic and international anti-Trump perspectives and reconstructs inferences, it is not journalism but a political role-play.

Trump's Hand

Just before departing for Beijing, reporters asked Trump, "Is China's cooperation necessary to resolve the Iran issue?" Trump's firm denial was a symbolic moment.

Venezuela and Iran, which were China's energy strongholds, are already shaken or in the process of being phased out. There is no doubt that the U.S. can "turn Iran back to the Stone Age" if it so chooses. As the U.S. has become one of the world's largest energy producers, it no longer has the same need to depend on Middle Eastern oil as it did in the past.

The Taiwan Issue... Difficult to Judge by Appearances Alone

Since his first term, Trump has effectively begun to readjust the interpretation of the "One China" principle. A prime example is the active utilization of the Taiwan Relations Act (1979) and the Taiwan Travel Act (2018). The Taiwan Relations Act was a mechanism established when the U.S. normalized relations with China, yet preserved the basis for maintaining Taiwan's defense capabilities.

In particular, after Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act in 2018, visits by U.S. officials at the ministerial level and congressional exchanges with Taiwan noticeably increased. Previously, the atmosphere was strongly geared towards not provoking China, but the trend has changed.

This trajectory has continued under the Joe Biden administration. Trump effectively opened the door to a reality that China most wishes to avoid: the international community treating Taiwan as a "de facto independent state."

Suspicions of technology leakage through Chinese academic and student networks also remain a core concern for the U.S. security apparatus on a bipartisan basis. Trump is a figure who could easily deliver a remark like "Stop stealing" to Xi Jinping's face, minimizing diplomatic rhetoric and framing it as a joke. Behind this would be confidence built on substantial evidence and accumulated cases.

◆ Dr. Im Myung-shin 

Ph.D. in Chinese Literature, Northeast Asia Researcher