This episode discusses the first summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort in Palm Beach, Florida from April 6 and 7. It discusses the outcomes and significance of the summit and how it fits in with President Trump’s attempts to build a strong results-oriented relationship with China. It also touches upon the significance of the U.S. strike on Syria during the summit and the establishment of a new dialog mechanism. Our guest, Ely Ratner, joins us to discuss how China fits into the Trump administration’s broader foreign policy strategy in Asia and the enduring challenges for the U.S.-China relationship.
Ely Ratner is the Maurice R. Greenberg senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. His research focuses on U.S.-China relations, regional security in East Asia, and U.S. national security policy. From 2015 to 2017, Ratner served as the deputy national security advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, covering the global portfolio with particular focus on Asia and China policy, the South China Sea, North Korea, and U.S. alliances in Asia.