After more than two months of work, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has finally been given the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the United States, and its top officials seem relieved.
At a press conference of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on March 12, Zhao Lijian said “the United States is an unreliable and untrustworthy country,” which should include not only the former Trump administration, but also the new Biden administration. If this is the case, the Chinese Communist Party is anxious to make peace with the “untrustworthy” U.S., the logic does not seem to make sense.
The outside world is not optimistic about this U.S.-China diplomatic meeting, and it is indeed difficult to see what might come out of it. The two sides are now in serious opposition on many key issues, and there is little room for compromise, and it is more likely that it will simply be another clarification of their respective positions.
U.S. and Chinese interpretations of the meeting
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan joined Secretary of State Antony Blinken in meeting with Chinese Communist Party officials, demonstrating the importance of U.S. national security. The State Department revealed five issues, including the Epidemic, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Communist Party’s economic embargo on Australia, and climate change. Blinken said the meeting “is an opportunity for us to put it (the issue) on the table,” denying that the meeting was a strategic dialogue and that he would not concede.
White House spokesman Jen Psaki added two other items, saying he would discuss “the behavior of the Chinese (Communist Party) leadership” and “our concerns about the economic relationship. For his part, State Department spokesman Ned Price said he “expects some difficult conversations between senior Chinese and U.S. officials.”
In contrast, the Chinese Communist Party’s expectations are apparently much higher, as Xinhua reported on March 12, “Foreign Ministry on Expectations for U.S.-China High-Level Strategic Dialogue: Hope to Focus on Cooperation, Manage Differences,” quoting Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian at a press conference that day, elevating the upcoming meeting to a “strategic dialogue.
Obviously, regardless of the outcome of the meeting, the Chinese Communist Party media is ready to publicize the meeting, at least by falsely claiming that the U.S.-China relationship has taken a big step forward, that it has begun to “focus on cooperation” and “manage differences” and that the two countries will make contributions to the world And so on, perhaps as proof that Xi is leading the way in U.S.-China relations and, once again, in the direction of the world.
A much-needed meeting at the top of the Communist Party
The Communist Party top brass has been looking forward to this meeting in order to quickly unwind from the serious mistakes that have damaged U.S.-China relations, and possibly to claim a turning point in the foreign struggle, again touting the strategic resolve of the Communist Party top brass.
By setting this U.S.-China diplomatic meeting, the CCP top brass thinks it can account for itself internally, and it would be nice to get concessions from the U.S., but it also knows that the chances are slim, though the meeting itself is much more significant to the CCP than the possible outcome of the meeting.
The CCP is certainly aware of the serious differences between the two sides on issues such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indo-Pacific peace, fair trade, intellectual property rights, the CCP’s war-wolf diplomacy, and human rights, and the fact that the world is watching the U.S. The U.S. should not give in, and the CCP probably did not expect any real results. On the contrary, in order to seek further opportunities to expand exchanges, the CCP may also lower its stance in the meeting, temporarily put away the so-called “red line”, or even pretend to make some ambiguous commitments.
It is conceivable that the CCP will continue to issue tough statements, but will also unilaterally publicize the outcome of the meeting and may imply that the U.S. has made concessions, falsely claiming that the U.S.-China meeting has resulted in a breakthrough.
At a March 11 press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when confronted with the possibility of further U.S. restrictions on huawei, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian called out “the United States as an unreliable and untrustworthy country. This statement not only raises the question of whether the Chinese Communist Party is under the mistaken impression that the new U.S. government might let Huawei go. Or has the U.S. government released a similar signal and the CCP feels that the U.S. has broken its word?
In any case, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has called the U.S. “untrustworthy,” yet it is anxious to meet with the U.S. in what it highly characterizes as a “strategic dialogue,” which is tantamount to slapping itself in the face. The high level of expectation for the meeting is also evident.
The U.S. deliberately lowered the specifications of the meeting
The fact that the U.S. deliberately scheduled this meeting in Alaska indicates that the U.S. government does not view it as a “strategic dialogue” and that it is at least one step down from a normal diplomatic meeting.
It is normal diplomatic practice for a normal foreign minister-level meeting to take place in the capital, where the head of the host country will normally appear to meet with the visiting foreign minister as a matter of protocol.
If the two foreign ministers do not meet in the capital, they will naturally not have the opportunity to meet the head of state, and Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi will not have the opportunity to enter the White House. The meeting between U.S. and Chinese diplomats was purposely arranged far away in Alaska, very similar to the meeting between Yang Jiechi and Pompeo in Hawaii last year. Such an arrangement actually shows that the U.S.-China relationship has not yet been able to rebound from its low point.
For the CCP, as long as the meeting can be held on U.S. soil and not in a third country, it should be the best possible ending that can be secured. The CCP will of course make every effort to invite U.S. diplomats to Beijing, but the U.S. government is clearly not willing to do so, as Blinken is about to visit Japan and South Korea, but just won’t stop by Beijing. Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi could not go to Japan and South Korea to meet with Blinken, otherwise it would be too costly.
On March 11, Xinhua News Agency reported that “Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi will hold a high-level strategic dialogue with the U.S.”, stating that “at the invitation of the U.S. side,” Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi will hold a high-level strategic dialogue with Secretary of State Blinken and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Sullivan in Anchorage from March 18 to 19. High-level Strategic Dialogue” in Anchorage on March 18-19.
The CCP should have repeatedly requested the meeting and insisted that it be held on U.S. soil in order to publicize that it was “at the invitation of the U.S. side” and to feel that it would be dignified. The Chinese Communist Party’s media report omitted Alaska and simply stated that the venue was Anchorage. The vast majority of Chinese people should not know where Anchorage is, and since it was invited by the U.S., it is certainly in the U.S. But if you say it is Alaska, many Chinese people will know, and will wonder, I am afraid that may guess that this meeting should not be high level, “China-US high-level strategic dialogue” propaganda will be bankrupt.
The Chinese Communist Party wants to confront but has no choice but to ask for help
The Chinese Communist Party has not only launched a propaganda campaign in advance around this low-level meeting, but also started a secret tug-of-war. The upcoming quadripartite talks between the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India have irritated the CCP, and after Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visit Japan and South Korea together, Austin will also go to India, which has stuck in the throat of the CCP. This made the Chinese Communist Party’s throat even tighter.
On March 12, Xinhua News Agency reported, “Foreign Ministry spokesman answers reporters’ questions on Cuba’s joint statement on behalf of 64 countries at the UN Human Rights Council in support of China’s border”, which was deliberately placed first in the news list. The CCP’s formal confrontation with the circle is hardly a group confrontation, but only a self-deprecating one.
The Chinese Communist Party has always dreamed of confronting the United States, but it asks the United States for “no conflict, no confrontation”; the United States has let the Chinese Communist Party mooch off it for so many years, but the Chinese Communist Party still wants to continue to mooch off it and replace it as soon as possible. Li Keqiang just said at a press conference of the National People’s Congress that “there is no way out behind closed doors”. The Chinese Communist Party knows this truth, but few people dare to openly question the diplomacy of the war wolves, and for now, they can only put on the play of “Sino-US high-level strategic dialogue”.
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