Friction from time to time between rival superpowers is only to be expected. Even so, US President Donald Trump’s
claim of Chinese interference in the 2020 presidential election was a very serious accusation. Yet a few days later, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his American counterpart, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio,
met on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting in Manila to advance preparations for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s much-anticipated state visit to the US in September.
That was more in keeping with the
positive tone of the Xi-Trump summit in Beijing in May. Compare that with a few years ago, when a successful summit between Xi and then US president Joe Biden was followed by the
alleged spy balloon incident over the US. It derailed the positive summit aftermath and left the bilateral relationship in very bad shape for almost a year.
But China’s reaction this time has been measured and muted, as evidenced by Wang’s meeting with Rubio, and Trump has
dialled back the accusation. What this shows is that both sides have finally forged a strategic guard rail that will not allow even an inflammatory incident like this to derail the most important bilateral relationship in the world. Hopefully, incidents, accidents and diplomatic skirmishes will no longer become trigger points that destabilise bilateral negotiations or dialogue. After all, the mutual need for a stabilised, respectful relationship has not changed.
As Wang said, according to an official readout: “Our responsibility now is to follow the path set by the two heads of state, eliminate interference and overcome obstacles, and ensure that the consensus reached by the leaders is translated into consensus and action across the entire government and all sectors.”
The two sides have been talking about such a strategic guard rail for many years. There may be clashes but small incidents should no longer get out of proportion and put the relationship on hold. That is a good development. Meanwhile, fact-finding missions, such as
the one to China by a US commission ahead of Xi’s visit to the US, are the sort of thing that can increase understanding and, eventually, trust, between the two sides. It shows that the Chinese side is very serious about the importance of Xi’s trip to Washington.
Both sides, particularly the United States, have become more pragmatic about the relationship – an approach long advocated by the Chinese to sustain dialogue and negotiation. This reinforces the strategic guard rail that keeps dialogue on track. It also affirms that when Xi goes to Washington, the focus is likely to be firmly on key fundamental issues, hopefully setting the tone for a constructive summit.
