Diplomatic efforts, the next step in stabilizing US-China relations

The intense diplomatic activity of the past few months is paying off as the US and China have recently sent signals that there is still room for cooperation between the two countries.

Within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, taking place from November 15-17 in San Francisco (USA), US President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting between the Chinese President and the US President this time took place after the ups and downs in bilateral relations over the past time, showing that both sides are trying to find a new model of interaction to help the relationship between the two countries achieve long-term stability. This is an important event that can help the two superpowers stabilize their stormy relationship, moving towards a future of responsible competition.

US President Joe Biden (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a meeting ahead of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. Photo: Internet.

The San Francisco summit is the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the United States and China this year. The event is expected to not only stabilize the relationship between the two countries but also help build a peaceful and prosperous world.

The US-China summit is scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco, USA. This will also be the first meeting between the two leaders in a year, since the meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia. In the context of US-China relations going through the most difficult period in recent decades, the meeting in San Francisco is expected to help the two countries cool down tensions, stabilize relations, and build a new approach to responsibly manage the most important bilateral relationship in the world today.

Exactly one year after the first meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping in Bali, Indonesia, US-China relations continue to be tense in almost every area. In terms of economy, President Joe Biden's administration has stepped up restrictions on high-tech exports, especially semiconductors, and built a stricter control mechanism for US companies' investment flows to China. In response, China has also imposed restrictions on some US companies and implemented export controls on some important materials in the technology sector.

China and the United States stabilize relations and build the most important bilateral relationship in the world today. Illustrative photo, source Internet.

In terms of politics and diplomacy, the balloon incident earlier this year caused high-level contacts between the two countries to freeze for a long time. Next, disputes over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the security environment in East Asia, and competition for influence in the South Pacific continued to push US-China relations into a spiral of crisis, gradually drifting towards confrontation. However, officials from both countries quickly recognized the dangers of this trend and have promoted some efforts to cool down tensions. Since the summer, a series of high-ranking US officials, such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, have visited China, and in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also visited the US.

The intense diplomatic activity of the past few months is paying off as the US and China have recently sent signals that there is still room for cooperation between the two countries. Ahead of the meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng discussed and issued a common understanding on economic and financial issues. According to this understanding, the US and China agreed to maintain communication, commit to cooperate together to respond to global issues such as climate change, debt of developing countries, and share the goal of building a fair business environment for businesses of both countries.

Previously, the US and China also resumed all direct commercial flights between the two countries, at the same scale as before the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. In addition, at the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Security Summit, held on November 8 in the UK, China also participated in and supported the Bletchley Declaration on AI safety proposed by Western countries. According to Ms. Fu Ying, former Deputy Foreign Minister of China, all of the above moves show that the meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping will be the next step in stabilizing US-China relations./.