So, here we are with whispers swirling that Donald Trump has circled a date and is gearing up for a visit to China before the year’s out. Funny enough, while the White House has suddenly decided to cool it on the usual chest-thumping towards Beijing—dialing down tech restrictions and all—China’s kept things low-key, barely lifting an eyebrow. When pressed, China’s spokesperson basically shrugged, saying, “Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic role in guiding China-US relations. As for the specific matter you mentioned, I currently have no information to provide.”
Diplomats and observers are already cracking jokes: “If Trump had his way, he’d be on the next flight to Beijing.” Trump seems keen as mustard for this sit-down, way more eager than Xi Jinping. That flips the script—Beijing might just have the upper hand at the negotiating table for once. But nothing’s set in stone. As the seasoned China watchers remind us, with issues like Taiwan or a stray comment from a hardliner lurking in the wings, even a tiny misstep could send this whole circus off the rails.
America’s Tech Sanctions: Softening Up
Just last week, the US suddenly let Nvidia ship those H20 chips to China again. Bit of a twist, since Trump had slapped the ban on those very exports back in April. China didn’t take it lying down—they immediately threatened to choke off supplies of rare earths and magnets, which are vital for American manufacturers, from carmakers to defense industries. According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, top guys in Trump’s camp figured Nividia was right that keep selling chips to China instead on sitting on them would be better for US tech to keep its leading position.
The fact? White House phones ringing off the hook as CEOs warned that US factories—yeah, even heavy-hitters like Ford and Suzuki—could grind to a halt if the standoff dragged on. Faced with the threat of stalled assembly lines, Team Trump decided maybe now’s a good time to lower the temperature with Beijing.
The End of the Hardliners?
With Trump now laser-focused on securing his China trip, those in the White House who love a good trade war are finding themselves shown the exit. The ones championing global tech expansion? Suddenly, they’re getting all the attention. Trump’s moving away from hostility and signalling he’d rather negotiate than keep up the tit-for-tat. Even Commerce Secretary Lutnick and ex-China hawk Secretary of State Rubio have changed their tune, falling in line behind the president’s new direction. Meanwhile, the once-dominant National Security Council hawks are quietly being shown the door.
New Faces, New Approach
What’s the upshot? With the “hawks” out of the way, folks like David Sacks, nicknamed the “AI Czar,” are unblocking pathways for tech companies, giving them way more room to breathe (and do business) globally. Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang wasted no time, lobbying Washington to let AI chips flow back to China, going so far as to vouch that none of this gear would be powering the PLA. For Huang, China’s just a “competitor”—not the monster the hawkish narrative would make you believe.
Meanwhile, word is that Trump’s team is cooking up some real, meaty trade talks with Beijing—not just to open doors for American firms, but to pave the runway for Trump’s much-anticipated journey.
At the end of the day, whether the hawks hijacked the last round of US policy or whether Trump was always playing his own long game isn’t so important. What matters is the result: with the old school sidelined, America’s inching forward. If Trump really does touch down in China, it could well prove to be a moment that shifts the game—one small step for Washington, one giant leap for global sanity.
Deep Blue
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
Wang Yi just put the world on notice. "The international situation is getting more turbulent and intertwined," he said. "Unilateral bullying is intensifying. The sudden change in Venezuela has drawn high level of attention from the international community."
He then added: "We never believe that any country can play the role of world policeman, nor do we agree that any country can claim itself to be an international judge."
This isn't diplomatic chitchat. Wang Yi added that "the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law." It's a warning shot fired directly at Trump's so-called "New Monroe Doctrine"—and it signals China will push back hard against neo-colonialism. One story from China's past shows exactly what that means.
The Incheon Gamble
In mid-September 1950, MacArthur pulled off the audacious Incheon landing—later hailed as "the most successful gamble" in military history. He bet everything on one card: that North Korean forces would be lax defending a port with terrible geography. The bet paid off. US forces achieved total surprise, cut enemy supply lines, and reversed the early disasters of the Korean War.
The Korean Peninsula was strategically vital to both China and the Soviet Union. They planned to back North Korea. At 1:00 a.m. on October 3, Zhou Enlai urgently summoned K. M. Panikkar, India's ambassador to China. His message was blunt: "If US forces cross the 38th parallel, we cannot stand by—we will have to step in."
The CCP's official Party history records this moment and emphasizes one critical word: "管" (to intervene). The Chinese term posed a translation challenge. If the wording was too soft, the Americans might miss China's intent. So Premier Zhou asked his foreign affairs secretary, Pu Shouchang, to choose carefully. Pu used "intervene"—making China's intention crystal clear. China would step in and interfere. The message reached Washington quickly through India. Yet "the US side chose to ignore it, and US forces brazenly crossed the 38th parallel on October 7."
Crossing the Yalu
American troops didn't just cross the 38th parallel—they surged in force toward the Yalu River and raced along the China-North Korea and North Korea-Soviet borders to the Tumen River. What happened next? On October 19, 1950, the Chinese People's Volunteers crossed the Yalu River. After five successive campaigns, they drove UN forces back from the Yalu area to near the 38th parallel.
On July 27, 1953, China, North Korea, and the UN Command signed the Korean Armistice Agreement. Many believe Mao Zedong's decision to send troops delivered China a stunning victory—a weaker power defeating a stronger one. People now say China "won so hard it felt unreal."
MacArthur—that "godlike general"—couldn't let it go. After his success at Incheon, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to expand his gains. He proposed a radical escalation to Washington: first, blockade China's coast; second, use naval and air power for unlimited bombing to completely destroy China's industrial production and infrastructure; third, bring in Nationalist (KMT) forces to "retake the mainland" and tie China down. Then fourth, MacArthur went even further with a wild proposal—drop 20 to 30 atomic bombs on China and create a radioactive "death zone" along the Yalu River between China and North Korea.
Trump's MacArthur Moment
Today's Trump thinks arresting Venezuela's president and his wife means he can bulldoze the whole world. One moment he talks about "taking over" Venezuela. The next he claims he can make personnel arrangements for that country, sending Marco Rubio to serve as a "governor." Meanwhile, US oil giants are poised to "swallow up" Venezuela's petroleum assets. Trump's ambition follows the same logic as MacArthur's back then.
MacArthur's recklessness enraged America's allies. They feared World War III. More importantly, the Soviet Union—which also possessed atomic weapons—was deeply dissatisfied with the US and warned that "bombs can be answered with bombs." President Truman faced an impossible choice: keep his war hero or keep the peace. He chose peace. On April 11, 1951, Truman fired MacArthur—ending the career of America's most celebrated general. MacArthur became one of the century's biggest cautionary tales.
The lesson is simple, direct, and brutal. Trump thinks everyone is scared of him and that he can keep throwing out ever more outrageous "deals" at will. That will invite disaster—because it crosses the tolerance threshold of the great-power balance. The major powers will have to "intervene."
How will they intervene? Great powers have many tools in their toolbox. Think of Schrödinger's cat—you open the box yourself and you'll find out the outcome. This isn't a joke. Do you dare try?
