Xi to Biden: We can work it out
Xi Jinping wants US President Joe Biden to keep the faith.
On Tuesday, Xi held a call with Biden, their first conversation since their highly successful November summit.
A bevy of high-level dialogues and working groups in the meeting’s immediate afterglow generated enthusiasm.
- However, progress on substantive issues has been slow, and recent renewed US actions against Chinese industry have further dampened the momentum.
Xi addressed this situation directly (Xinhua):
- “The China-U.S. relationship is beginning to stabilize…[but] the negative factors of the relationship have also been growing.”
He then outlined three principles to guide China-US relations in 2024:
- Peace must be valued to prevent conflict and confrontation.
- Stability must be prioritized.
- Credibility must be upheld, and commitments must be acted upon.
Finally, Xi warned Biden against crossing China’s red line regarding Taiwan and against targeting Chinese companies.
Biden had his own list of gripes, including Chinese support for Russia’s war industries and non-market trade practices (White House).
- Even so, he agreed to “responsibly manage the relationship through high-level diplomacy and working-level consultations.”
Get smart: The recent China-US thaw doesn’t change the fundamental belief in Beijing and Washington that great power competition is long-term and unavoidable.
- Current diplomatic efforts are about reaching a long-term equilibrium that prevents competition from veering into something worse.
What to watch: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will visit China in the coming weeks.
- Will they and their Chinese counterparts bring the two countries closer to a modus vivendi?