20/05/2026

WEDNESDAY | MAY 20, 2026

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Will Trump’s China reset shift world order? W ESTERN media flooded their pages with images of Donald Trump, his entourage, with 125% duties and restricted rare earth exports, directly hitting US defence and high-tech supply chains.

US tariffs cut Chinese exports to America by 16.9%. But China boosted shipments to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America, resulting in a net 7.1% increase in total exports. The dynamic revealed US vulnerability and

and Wall Street CEOs in Beijing. Missing from most coverage is a critical question: Why is this US China reset happening now, and where is it taking the world order? This first of possibly four Trump-Xi meetings in 2026 is shifting the US from intense strategic competition towards a stable, O T

Chinese resilience. The administration responded by shifting from blanket tariffs to “targeted containment” in chips, critical minerals and AI. K E

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transactional partnership with what the prior administration called America’s “pacing challenger” and which many American political leaders from Republican and Democrat parties see as the country’s existential threat to US dominance of the world system It isn’t due to personal friendship or respect which the American President has repeatedly referred to in his addresses during his visit and meetings with the Chinese President. It’s due to Trump’s recognition of China’s strength and US vulnerabilities. The shift shows up in US strategy documents. The 2025 National Security Strategy moved away from framing China as the primary geopolitical threat. It emphasised economic reciprocity and avoided the o v e r t l y confrontational language of prior years.

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Military power: US faces reality The Pentagon’s 2025 China Military Power Report concluded that China’s buildup is making the US h o m e l a n d increasingly vulnerable. It noted growing nuclear, naval and cyber capabilities that could directly threaten US security. Unusually, the report adopted a conciliatory tone, stating bilateral relations are at “the best level in years” under Trump. This suggests US defence officials recognise China’s expanded reach and are adjusting expectations and policy to avoid a ruinous conflict. Strategic recalibration: ‘Fortress America’ The 2025 NSS signalled retrenchment.

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“A deep, insti tutionalised anti-China consensus in Washington hasn’t disappeared. It’s dormant. From Beijing’s view, that makes a grand bargain improbable.

The Trump-Xi meeting is shifting the US from intense strategic contest towards a stable, transactional partnership. – REUTERSPIC

order. Combined with Fortress America, it points towards a G2 system of non-overlapping spheres of influence – an attempt to arrest US decline. With Russia in the equation, this is pointing to a G3 emerging as the key driver in global geopolitics. At the opening meeting, Xi told Trump that the two largest economies share a historic responsibility to guide global stability. He said China and the US must “jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries” to ensure world peace. If that holds, it may be the start of a different world order than the one being jettisoned. LimTeck Ghee’s Another Take is aimed at demystifying social orthodoxy. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com China, let us re-examine our own commitment. The right decision in 1991 gave us 30 years of safety progress. We must not let that wisdom fade through complacency. Whether it is a firecracker factory or a high-pressure gas pipeline running through a suburb, the gravity of the risk demands the same standard of truth. Let us honour the memory of the Sungai Buloh 26 by ensuring the spirit of the RCI remains our standard, not an occasional exception. Safety is not a matter of luck; it is a matter of the political will to do what is right. Chin Yew Sin Shah Alam

strategic reset. Trump views China through a commercial lens, not a long-term partnership. Concessions can reverse quickly given US domestic politics. A deep, institutionalised anti China consensus in Washington hasn’t disappeared. It’s dormant. From Beijing’s view, that makes a grand bargain improbable. In essence, the relationship is not transitioning to a “beautiful partnership” based on mutual affection, but to a more managed, transactional and possibly stable coexistence – driven by the sobering realisation that neither power can easily defeat the other, and that their fates are inextricably intertwined. Maga (Make America Great Again) foreign policy in respect of China isn’t reviving Cold War bipolarity or the old rules-based death toll was zero, the potential for a disaster matching Bright Sparklers was undeniable. Despite the magnitude and the persistent calls from residents and NGOs, the authorities have yet to convene an RCI for Putra Heights. There is a sense of “taking it without much seriousness”. Why is the mechanism that saved us in 1991 being ignored today? Do we need to wait for another “26 deaths” before we apply the same standard of inquiry? An RCI is not about finger pointing; it is about national learning. It signals to every corporation and agency that in Malaysia, public safety is non negotiable. As we mourn the 26 souls lost in

mutually advantageous economic relationship with Beijing and “balanced trade focused on non sensitive factors”. This appears to be the foundation for a new page, if not a new era. From trade war to strategic stability By late 2025, the trade war gave way to negotiation. The October Busan summit produced a tariff truce: US duties fell from 57% to 47%, with China reciprocating. Analysts call this “mutually assured disruption” – the recognition that neither side can decouple without severe self-harm. The US appeared the more conciliatory party in the truce. The reality check: Partnership and reset This is tactical stabilisation, not a (Osha) 1994. It moved us from a reactive “wait and-see” culture to a proactive one. Because of that RCI, Malaysia banned the manufacturing of firecrackers entirely, a decision that has saved countless lives. We should be proud of this. It proved that when we treat a tragedy with seriousness, we can lead the world in industrial safety. However, the power of an RCI lies in its consistency. This brings us to the Putra Heights pipeline inferno in April last year. That explosion sent flames 30m into the sky, created a massive crater and injured 150 people, including children. The ground tremors were felt kilometres away. While we were blessed that the

Instead of global policing and “democratic” crusades, it focused on securing the Western Hemisphere, rebuilding domestic industry, and recalibrating the economic relationship with China. It framed economics as the central arena and called for “a

Economic resilience: How China changed the game In 2025, Trump launched a “Liberation Day” tariff campaign, pushing US tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%. China retaliated

The haunting math of 26 lives must not fade

LETTERS letters@thesundaily.com

THE recent news from Hunan, China is a haunting echo of a nightmare we once lived. Another fireworks plant reduced to a smoking crater; another 26 lives extinguished in an instant. For Malaysians who remember the smoke over Selangor 35 years ago, that specific number – 26 – is not just a statistic; it is a scar. In 1991, our own Bright Sparklers disaster in Sungai Buloh – the “Hiroshima of Selangor” – claimed 26 lives. As we watched the rescue teams in China, the coincidence is chilling. But more importantly, it serves as a

stark reminder of a time when Malaysia stood at a crossroads and chose the path of wisdom, transparency and radical reform. Following the 1991 disaster, the Malaysian government did more than just offer condolences. They initiated a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI). This was not just a committee; it was a powerful, independent search for the truth. The impact was transformative. The RCI did not just find a culprit; it revolutionised our entire legal landscape. It was the primary trigger for the formation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act