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White House race tests US-China ties, but Beijing won’t use ‘two sessions’ to air opinions on the election
- Annual political meetings are a platform for Beijing to broadcast foreign policy positions, but analysts expect neutral stance on US presidential race
- Observers say rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump would offer little relief for tense bilateral relations as their China strategy is similar
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China’s political elite and lawmakers will gather in March for the country’s annual legislative sessions which will set budgets and lay down Beijing’s plans for the country’s economy, diplomacy, trade and military. In the fourth part of the series, Orange Wang looks at what to expect for US-China relations.
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During last year’s “two sessions”, China’s annual legislative meetings, President Xi Jinping took a direct swipe at Washington, criticising what he called a US-led campaign of “encirclement and suppression”.
It was a highly unusual example of a Chinese leader singling out the United States but pointed to the parlous state of relations between the two countries so soon after a Chinese air balloon was shot down over US territory.
A year later, the incident has passed and China and the United States have taken more conciliatory positions but the two powers remain locked in a geopolitical rivalry that will be tested by this year’s race for the White House.
When China’s political elites gather for the two sessions next week, many will be watching to see how Beijing views the US presidential election and the future of bilateral ties.
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But as the chances of a rematch between US President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump grow, observers say China is likely to take a cautious and neutral stance on the election during the gatherings of its legislature and top political advisory body.
There is a pervasive view in China that neither candidate would be a relief for Beijing or change the direction of Sino-American ties as both Biden and Trump share the same strategic stance on China, differing only in their tactics.
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