China and U.S. Hold High-ranking Talks amid Tensions

The director of GMF’s Asia Program, Bonnie Glaser, spoke to Deutsche Welle TV to discuss the latest talks between U.S. and Chinese high-ranking officials and the possibility of a meeting of President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the fall. Glaser noted that the tone of the talks is similar to that during the talks in Anchorage a few months ago. In her view, this time the Chinese went even further, though.

China said that essentially cooperation is going to be difficult unless the United States stops doing things that China does not like, including what it considers interfering in its internal affairs and sovereignty issues. China also presented the U.S. side with 16 demands – very specific things that the United States has to change. Glaser described the relationship as contentious and “very rocky,” which is why the prospects for cooperation – even in areas where interests might overlap – are very uncertain at this moment. According to Glaser, China had hoped for a different approach and friendlier tone from the Biden administration, which did not happen.

But despite the ongoing disagreements and the fact that that to some extent China and the United States are talking past each other, Glaser stressed that at least dialogue is taking place. Looking at common challenges such as climate change and the required cooperation in this area, for example, Glaser stated that there should be common interests. She pointed out that cooperation was not impossible, but that the relationship was very difficult. “The relationship right now is so heated, so negative, so mistrustful, that it’s just hard to see how we’re going to have a positive path that’s going to produce any real concrete cooperation,” she said.