Trump eyes China deal, but dragging out talks risks backlash, warns former diplomat

US President Donald Trump is expected to aim for an “economic deal” with China when he is in Beijing, according to a former senior diplomat who served under the American leader during his first term.However if Beijing were to drag out trade negotiations with Washington for too long, it could risk Trump taking a much tougher turn against China, warned Stephen Biegun, who served as US deputy secretary of state from 2019 to 2021.“The president wants a deal, an economic deal, specifically,” he said on Wednesday during an event in Melbourne held by the Australian think tank, the Lowy Institute, when asked what Trump hoped to achieve from his delayed China trip.“The only thing that … is debatable is whether the Chinese give it to him all at once or portion it out over the next three years to keep the negotiation going, to keep the United States tied in this engagement,” he added.Stephen Biegun is a former senior diplomat who served as US deputy secretary of state from 2019 to 2021. Photo: APBiegun’s comment came hours before Trump announced that his high-stakes visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping had been rescheduled to take place on May 14 and 15.