Not the best of deals

Donald Trump’s recent visit to Beijing was presented as a big success for “business diplomacy.” There were announcements about trade deals, energy cooperation, and Chinese investment. However, the bigger story was not the deals themselves. The visit showed how global power is slowly shifting toward China while the United States risks becoming more isolated. China used the visit to present itself as a calm and reliable partner that is willing to build long-term economic and political relationships. At the same time, the United States under Trump appeared more focused on short-term, transactional politics. Beijing is taking advantage of this by strengthening ties with countries through trade, investment, and security cooperation.One important part of the talks was the joint statement that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. While this sounds strong, the reality is more complicated. Iran already has enough enriched uranium and advanced technology to move quickly toward building a bomb if it chooses to do so. Because of this, the statement looked more like diplomatic messaging than a real solution. Neither the United States nor China seems ready to take the difficult steps needed for a new nuclear agreement or tougher international pressure on Iran. The timing of Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing right after Trump’s departure also sent a powerful message. It highlighted how closely Russia and China are working together. Reports suggest their discussions focused on energy projects, military cooperation, and advanced defense technologies such as hypersonic missiles and artificial intelligence systems. The message was clear: while the United States appears uncertain about its global role, China and Russia are expanding their influence together. Trump’s approach toward NATO has also weakened America’s position. By questioning the value of alliances, threatening troop withdrawals, and criticizing allies over defense spending, he has created doubts about America’s reliability. NATO has long been one of Washington’s greatest strengths because it allowed the U.S. to lead a large network of partners. Instead, when allies begin to lose trust, they start looking for other options. Some European countries are pushing for more independent defense policies, while others are building closer economic ties with China. It is still too early to say that China will become the world’s only dominant superpower. The global system is becoming more complex, not fully controlled by any single country. However, China’s rise is undeniable. Its economy remains strong, and its military has rapidly improved in areas such as naval power, missiles, cyber warfare, space technology, and artificial intelligence. At the same time, the United States is weakening one of its biggest advantages- its ability to build strong alliances. In today’s world, power is not only about military strength or economic size. It is also about trust, partnerships, and the ability to bring countries together around shared goals. Trump’s Beijing visit may have produced some major headlines and business agreements, but its deeper significance lies elsewhere. It showed a United States struggling to maintain its global leadership while China steadily expands its influence and strengthens its international network. And if this is the translation of the octogenarian Trump’s now irrelevant slogan : “Make America Great Again”, then the American voters who voted him back to power can’t complain.