Unofficial US-China dialogue: seeing the worst in each other undermines nations’ already dismal relations
- Both sides taking part in the talks, organised by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, see Taiwan as an increasingly dangerous flashpoint
- A rebalancing of the two nations’ economic relationship is recommended, so sanctions and other trade restrictions are ‘less reflexive and more targeted’
Washington needs to clearly and consistently outline its China policy and Beijing needs to explain how expanding into the South China Sea and elsewhere contributes to regional peace and stability, according to the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, which organised a series of recent US-China backchannel discussions.
“Track two” or backchannel diplomacy involves non-governmental contacts used to explore options when official channels are blocked, although this has declined as relations have hit new lows and Covid-19 has reduced face-to-face contact.
“The discussions were candid and most participants were pessimistic that either side had political will to improve the atmosphere in which great power competition is taking place,” the committee said.
“Both sides do not want to spark outright military conflict, setting the floor of the bilateral relationship. However, the ceiling seems to be falling and the room for manoeuvre to prevent the worst outcomes is narrowing.”
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Yun Sun, director of Stimson Centre’s China Programme and a dialogue participant, said that meetings like this were useful, but that talking over Zoom was frustrating and did not address a fundamental problem in the relationship.