China Reality Check: The Trump-Xi Mar-a-Lago Meeting: Expectations and Implications

Please join us for a discussion in anticipation of the likely meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago in early April. This gathering will be an important milestone and help set the tone for the relationship in the years ahead. Although the meeting has not yet been officially announced, we believe that a serious discussion and analysis is warranted given the uncertainty at this juncture and potential trajectory of the relationship. Ambassador J. Stapleton Roy will open the discussion with comments on the overall US-China relationship and historical significance of leadership meetings, focusing particularly on leadership meetings early on in administrations. Christopher K. Johnson will then discuss the importance of China’s domestic political environment in shaping Chinese leaders’ views of the United States generally and the presidents’ goals at the upcoming meeting specifically. Finally, Kevin Nealer will provide remarks about the economic and trade contex