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China Briefing | Small steps by Xi and Biden could lead to big changes in US-China ties
- With the new president’s cabinet picks having used tough rhetoric on China, and Beijing believing the US is in decline, neither side wants to make first move
- The way back for Washington and Beijing lies in starting small, reversing tit-for-tat journalist expulsions and consulate closures, and talking about trade
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Watching the live telecast of Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony on Thursday morning, sparsely attended due to the coronavirus pandemic and under an unprecedented lockdown by thousands of National Guard troops, and reading how some American media described Biden’s call for unity and his immediate actions to unwind some of Donald Trump’s policies as offering hints at a return to normality, were a sombre reminder of how far the mighty America has strayed and how it faces a monumental task ahead to come back together.
Among the 15 executive orders President Biden signed on his first day of office were rejoining the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement, signalling America’s intention to re-engage on the global stage.
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President Biden signs first-day executive orders for US return to Paris climate accord, WHO and more
President Biden signs first-day executive orders for US return to Paris climate accord, WHO and more
For officials and observers in China, one of the key questions is when will some semblance of normality be restored to US-China relations, which have been in free fall on almost all fronts throughout the Trump presidency?
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A growing consensus at home and abroad is that Beijing and Washington are likely to take a softer tone and approach towards each other, which is understandable not least because ties are at such a nadir presently that some improvement should be relatively easy.
Beijing has already started to take the temperature of the Biden administration’s policy towards China. Minutes after Biden took office, China’s foreign ministry announced it would sanction 28 former Trump administration officials including former secretary of state Mike Pompeo for planning, promoting and executing “crazy moves which have gravely interfered in China’s internal affairs, undermined China’s interests, offended the Chinese people, and seriously disrupted China-US relations”.
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