CNBC: China Expert Tom Manning Discusses Meeting Between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping

Tom Manning, former Cerebus Asia CEO and former board member of eight Chinese companies, was interviewed on CNBC today as President Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping prepare to meet each other at Mar-a-Lago, bringing some insight into what most see as a high-stakes meeting that will set the tone for U.S.-China relations for the coming years.

What the White House wants, what President Xi wants, and what American businesses want may differ. According to Manning, the Chinese are coming to the table expecting a level of mutual respect, and if President Trump becomes too aggressive early on, that hope will be violated. The Chinese are simply looking for an outcome that will start off the relationship on a positive note. While the meeting is not likely to yield any major strategic decisions at this stage, it will – if successful – be the basis for continued discussions on more important issues in the coming years.

Presidents Trump and Xi are likely to come to the table with different views on trade, but Tom believes the Chinese leader will come to the meeting with facts in hand – including the fact that Americans benefit in an extraordinary way from trade with China already, with exports at $500 billion annually, with the potential to move to over $1 trillion in the next five to six years. China will also reinforce their view that they are conforming to international standards, as well as to American expectations.

What American companies want is for President Trump to advocate for the continuation of creating that level playing field, but without disrupting what has become a stable environment for American businesses in China.

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