Following calls by experts, policymakers, and think tanks, the Biden administration seems to have accepted the reality that locking horns with China will further deteriorate the situation and bring harm to the US economy. Realizing the facts, the Biden administration initiated talks with Beijing last month which the Xi Jinping-led administration welcomed with open arms.
Areas of potential collaboration between the two nations include climate change, public health, and trade and investment. However, challenges such as a trust deficit and strategic competition must be addressed for successful de-risking. Engaging with multilateral institutions will also be crucial. De-risking efforts hold the promise of stability, cooperation, and mutual benefits for both countries and the global community.
Last month, the US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China’s top diplomat Wang Yi engaged in talks held in Vienna with the aim of stabilizing bilateral relations between the two nations. These relations have reached their lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1979. Described as “candid, substantive, and constructive” by the White House, the discussions covered a range of important issues, including the US-China relationship, global security concerns, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the sensitive matter of Taiwan.
Sources within Washington and Beijing revealed that both parties had agreed on the significance of maintaining this crucial strategic channel of communication, building upon previous engagements between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping in Bali, Indonesia, back in November 2022. The objective was to address obstacles that hinder the progress of China-US relations and prevent any further deterioration in the overall relationship.
Over the course of two days, the talks witnessed more than eight hours of intense dialogue, during which Sullivan raised US concerns regarding potential Chinese assistance to Russia and the need to manage tensions related to Taiwan, a region over which China asserts territorial claims and has expressed willingness to use force if necessary.
China Rejects US Proposal for Defense Chiefs Meeting Amidst Escalating Diplomatic Spat
According to high-ranking officials in Washington, the United States had expressed its intention to move past recent tensions stemming from a spy balloon incident that led to the cancellation of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing in February. Moreover, Washington anticipates further engagements with Chinese officials in the coming months as efforts to restore high-level dialogue continue.
While the Chinese readout of the talks highlighted the importance of removing obstacles in the China-US relationship and stabilizing it, it also presented China’s stance on Taiwan and mentioned the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, disagreements persist, notably with China’s insistence on the lifting of sanctions imposed on its defense minister, Li Shangfu, as a precondition for a meeting with his US counterpart. The United States, however, has conveyed that these sanctions do not prevent a meeting in a third country. Nevertheless, China considers it inappropriate to engage in talks while its defense minister remains under sanctions.
Insiders familiar with discussions within the Biden administration have revealed that there are no intentions to lift the sanctions imposed during the Trump era on Li Shangfu.
