Trump returns empty-handed from China, while Russia manages to forge ties

CNN Brasil's international analyst, Lourival Sant'Anna, assessed that US President Donald Trump emerged without any relevant achievements from his summit with Xi Jinping, while Russia managed, at least in part, to strengthen its ties with China.

At the meeting between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, held a week after the summit with Trump, China and Russia signed more than 40 cooperation agreements. In the meeting with the United States, the result was just a sign of the possible sale of American products to China.

Trump's main objective - to gain Chinese support for reopening the Strait of Hormuz - has not been achieved. Putin, in turn, was also unable to finalize the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline deal, which would connect Russia and China, due to disagreements over the price of gas.

For Sant'Anna, Xi Jinping led both meetings from a position of clear superiority. "Xi Jinping was dealing with two countries that were in a position of tributary nations, as in the time of the Middle Kingdom", he analyzed.

The analyst pointed out that both the United States and Russia are weakened by unsuccessful conflicts, which reinforces Chinese protagonism in the current geopolitical scenario.

The analysis takes place amid impasses in negotiations between the United States and Iran, which involve the Iranian nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei denied on Thursday (21) rumors of a diplomatic breakthrough with the United States.

According to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, Baghaei declared that "allegations about nuclear issues - such as enriched uranium or enrichment levels - are mere media speculation and have no basis in reality."

Nuclear impasse and Strait of Hormuz
Negotiations between Washington and Tehran face obstacles on two main fronts: uranium enrichment and control of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Sant'Anna, Iran is only willing to negotiate an end to the conflict and the reopening of the strait, without giving up its nuclear program.

"Before the conflict began, the United States was negotiating the suspension of the nuclear program and now it seems that the issue has gone back to an earlier point," said the analyst.

Iran defends the right to a peaceful nuclear program under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, as provided for in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which it is a signatory.

Sant'Anna also highlighted Qatar's entry into the negotiations as a new element. The country, which historically maintained good relations with Iran and brokered talks on the Gaza Strip, moved away after being bombed by Iran, but has now returned to negotiations.

"Qatar can help a lot", said the analyst, highlighting that Pakistan also continues to act as a mediator.

Technology exchange and impossibility of sanctions
The Reuters news agency published a report revealing that China's armed forces had secretly trained around 200 Russian soldiers in the country at the end of last year.

When asked about the possibility of Western sanctions against Beijing, Sant'Anna was categorical: "Zero, impossible, forget it, there will be no sanctions against China.

The world is dependent on China." According to him, the abandonment of Chinese manufactured goods would trigger an inflationary explosion in Brazil, the United States and throughout Europe.

The analyst described an intense exchange between the two countries: China exports technological components and chips for dual use, civil and military, to Russia, while receiving high-level Russian military technology, especially in the field of hypersonic missiles and nuclear submarines. "There is a very fluid exchange between these two countries", concluded Sant'Anna.

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Source: CNN