All indications are that the choice of Alaska as the site of the first U.S.-China meeting since the Biden administration took office appears to lurk more risky for the relationship, possibly even involving neighboring Russia.
U.S. and China each weigh in
After the U.S.-China meeting in Alaska ended Friday, both governments expressed reservations about the meeting.
Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs, told the media that the meeting was beneficial and enhanced mutual understanding, but that the two sides had serious differences.
Also according to Reuters, State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter said at a press briefing on Friday that the Chinese side’s performance would not prevent the United States from expressing their principles and expectations and continuing the difficult dialogue with China. She also said that the talks were serious discussions.
The meeting brought the differences between the two sides to the surface again, with Politico reporting that it was a showdown between the U.S. and China.
Showdown followed by action
But after the showdown, the two sides have taken their own actions in a more intense manner. According to the State Department on March 19, Secretary of State Blinken will travel to Brussels, Belgium, for a NATO ministerial meeting with EU leaders from March 22 to 25.
In a statement, the State Department noted that the meeting will discuss the NATO 2030 reform report, concerns about China and Russia, as well as cybersecurity and energy security issues. Blinken will also use the occasion to demonstrate the Biden Administration‘s determination to strengthen allied relations.
Meanwhile, China has also invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to visit China on March 22-23, drawing widespread attention.
Chinese official media have been cautious in reporting on the visit, with Xinhua so far publishing only a brief news release. However, Phoenix.com, which has an official Chinese Communist background, forwarded a commentary pointing out that Lavrov’s visit to China at this Time was not a coincidence.
The article emphasizes that CCP Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian introduced the visit and said that State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet with Lavrov to discuss bilateral relations and recent high-level contacts; the specific content of the “match” here is the recent intensive and tense strategic interaction between China, the United States and Russia.
The article concludes by noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and China. China and Russia will not be alone because of each other.
Also according to RIA Novosti, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed in connection with the meeting that Russia and China are against tampering with the universally accepted norms of international law and that the two countries intend to further closely coordinate their diplomatic pace. In addition, a joint statement on global governance issues will be adopted during the meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries, and a Consultation Plan for 2021 between the foreign ministries will be signed at that time.
Possible U.S. Sanctions Against Communist China
On the other side of the coin, the United States may soon take sanctions against the Chinese Communist Party.
According to Politico, China analysts close to Biden administration officials have disclosed that the Biden administration is considering sanctions against the Chinese Communist Party within a few weeks to punish it for ethnic cleansing in Xinjiang.
The specific sanctions could be a new approach to economic sanctions, and possibly a joint action with European countries.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress is also taking action. On Friday, the day Secretary of State Blinken concluded his meeting with Chinese officials, a bipartisan group of members of Congress introduced a bill calling for sanctions against the Chinese Communist Party over Hong Kong.
In addition, confrontation on the Internet may also be on the U.S. government’s mind. Former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recently noted that the U.S. needs to be more aggressive online and find innovative ways to make U.S. adversaries pay a high price, according to the New York Times. The Biden administration has expressed similar sentiments.
Matt Kroenig, a former Defense Department official, noted that U.S.-China relations could get worse as a result and that the tensions could last a full generation. But there is still room for cooperation between the U.S. and China, and something can be done on issues such as climate change.
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