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Opinion | Does the US really want a Biden-Xi Apec summit and better relations with China?
- A meeting between the two leaders at the Apec forum would cap off recent US-China diplomatic efforts to improve relations
- But Chinese doubts about US sincerity remain, so the onus is on Washington to exhibit a more conciliatory stance
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Over the past few weeks, Beijing has been engaged in a whirlwind of high-level discussions with Washington and Moscow. After two days in Malta with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi flew to Russia for a four-day consultation with Russian Security Council head Nikolai Patrushev on strategic cooperation.
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These diplomatic engagements are seen as China’s attempts to support international efforts to stabilise the Asia-Pacific region, as it continues discussions with important, influential countries.
Coming after the G20 and Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summits, the Wang-Sullivan meeting was seen as a positive development between two countries whose relations have experienced a downturn of historic proportions.
There are two notable inferences from Wang’s meeting with Sullivan. One is that, despite the intense tension, both China and the United States have realised how crucial it is to keep the lines of communication open. The second, rather disappointingly, is that there is no sign of a breakthrough any time soon on major points of contention.
The underlying theme pushing both countries into active diplomacy is obvious: the world is struggling amid turmoil and chaos, is trying to recover economically after the Covid-19 pandemic, and there is a widespread yearning for a more refined international order.
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Wang and Sullivan reportedly discussed a range of topics, including the Asia-Pacific region, the Ukraine crisis, and the situation on the Korean peninsula. But it was Taiwan that reportedly dominated discussions.
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