China was barely mentioned by Joe Biden in his speech accepting his Democratic Party’s nomination to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in the United States’ elections in November. The “season of darkness” he said he would overcome should he win concerned the ending of domestic divisions and again working with allies, not mending fractured relations with Beijing. That is because no matter how wide apart the sides are on major issues, they agree that a tough line is needed towards Chinese policies that are perceived as unfair or threatening to American interests. The outcome of the vote is unlikely to have a significant impact on ties, so for China’s officials, time would be best served pushing for talks and improving cooperation rather than waiting to see who triumphs. Despite China being the biggest foreign policy issue of the election campaign, Biden only referred to the nation once in passing during his speech. With Trump’s mishandling of the Covid-19 crisis a focal point, he said that a shortage of medical equipment and protective gear would never occur under his presidency as it would be domestically produced “so we will never again be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries”. There was an oblique allusion to Chinese exports in his pledge to create 5 million manufacturing and technology jobs “so the future is made in America”. The party’s choice for vice-president, Kamala Harris, said nothing about China in her acceptance speech on Thursday. Trump is bound to make numerous mentions at the Republican convention next week, his confrontation on a wide range of issues being a defining point of his presidential term. Hawks in his administration are even agitating for military conflict. Biden has extensive foreign policy experience as a lawmaker and former vice-president, so knows the dangers. But on the campaign trail, he has also been highly critical of Beijing on many of the same issues as Trump. Although likely to be more diplomatic in dealings with Beijing should he be elected, he will not let up on the pressure. Proving how deep anti-Chinese sentiment runs among lawmakers, a bill with bipartisan support has been introduced to Congress that would prohibit the federal government from referring to the leader of China as “president”. The advice of Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the US, for dialogue “anytime, anywhere”, makes sense. An announced resumption of trade talks in coming days, although at a lower level and dealing with technical issues, is a hopeful sign. With ties at their lowest for decades, there is every reason to resist a pause for the election outcome and work for a reset of ties.