Regina Ip from Hong Kong discloses the motive behind her previously scrapped travel to the United States.
Brewing US-China Tensions Push Back High-Profile Meetings
Looks like a scheduled gathering between the United States and China has taken a backseat, at least for now. The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce recently announced that a planned trip to Dallas, slated for April 24, has been postponed due to the rapid evolution of global politics. This would've marked the chamber's first visit to the U.S. in seven years.
Similarly, the New People's Party, spearheaded by Exco convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, also called off a visit to the U.S. Regina expressed her concerns, expressing that the timing was off, given U.S. President Donald Trump's daily declarations of conversations with someone from China. Regina, along with lawmaker Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, decided to push their planned itinerary back.
Trump stirred things up on April 25, claiming that discussions had taken place that day between the two economic giants to alleviate the trade war. However, Beijing quickly countered, asserting that no such discussions had occurred.
Trump's further claims of receiving a phone call from Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 28 were flatly rejected by Beijing. The Chinese government maintained that no consultations or negotiations concerning tariff issues had taken place.
Regina Ip continued that her obligations made it "very challenging" to reschedule the visit this year.
Although it's unclear whether this diplomatic shuffle is a sign of an impending US-China summit's cancellation or just a shift in schedules, it's important to note that these high-level meetings can often be delayed due to a variety of factors, including tension escalation or unexpected international developments. Pinpointing the exact reason for any summit postponement would require official announcements from government sources or news archives from the relevant period.
- The postponement of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce's trip to Dallas, originally scheduled for April 24, adds to the brewing US-China tensions.
- Politicians from both nations have been affected by these tensions, as evidenced by the New People's Party's decision to postpone their visit to the U.S.
- The evolving geopolitical landscape is causing delays in high-profile meetings, as witnessed by the repeated postponement of the US-China dialogues.
- Business delegations, like the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, are finding it challenging to negotiate trade matters under the current political climate.
- General news outlets have reported that the postponement of such meetings could be a sign of an increasing war-and-conflicts between the two superpowers.
- However, it's essential to remember that postponements in policy-and-legislation discussions could also be due to unforeseen circumstances or internal re-evaluations within either government.
