As Chinese President Xi Jinping gets ready to head back home after a tentative meeting and a friendly walk through the gardens of Filoli estate with his US counterpart Joe Biden, the dynamics of the relations between the superpowers take a new yet familiar road. President Biden hailed the meeting’s outcome as the leaders take baby steps towards diffusing tension and enhancing collaboration between the two global forces.
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A new chapter in the China-US tale
As Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his first visit to the US in six years, Xi looked forward to maintaining a peaceful development as the summit eased the ongoing tension between the nations. The meeting developed on the sidelines of the APEC(Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). Though President Biden said the talks to be one of the most constructive and productive deliberations between the two sides, the overall outcome of the meeting is heavily under scrutiny.
The talks did not produce any path-breaking outcomes as expected by the rest of the world. The talks materialized as a ray of hope to the world as they might have cooled the ongoing tension between the nations from escalating to a war, which is the last thing the world needs due to the continuing conflict in Ukraine and Gaza. It is as clear as daylight that one meeting between the two nations will not bring abrupt stability as the wounds between the sides are so deep it would take a lot of effort from both nations to bring peace and cooperation to the table.
The meeting remained far away from any sort of radical turnarounds as both the US and China restricted themselves from bringing their respective barriers down.
New agreements in place
- The two leaders made advancements on several key issues. They expressed mutual interest in cooperation to stop illicit drug manufacturing, including drugs like fentanyl, and the establishment of a working group for coordination on counternarcotics issues. The number of deaths in the US due to synthetic drugs is high, and the agreement aims at curbing the toll.
- The two nations agreed on new climate change initiatives. Biden and Xi agreed to cooperate on reducing methane emissions, a significant development ahead of the COP28.
- The sides agreed on increased military cooperation and resuming defense policy talks, military maritime consultive agreement, and direct telephone communication between operational authorities.
- Concord over examining the risks and threats of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- The leaders agreed on increased scheduled passenger flights and to take necessary actions to restore full implementation of the US-China air transportation agreement to support exchanges between the two countries. The leaders expressed mutual interest in expanding educational, youth, student, sports, cultural, and business exchanges.
Biden and Xi poses Concern over global issues
Over the issues concerning the world, President Biden asked his counterparts to use their influence in propagating peace in war-struck regions. He reaffirmed the position of the US to stand with Ukraine on the ongoing war with Russia and to ensure Ukraine hurdle the situation as an independent and democratic nation. On the topic of the Israel-Hamas conflict, President Biden reiterated support for Israel’s right to act against terrorism and emphasized the significance of nations using their influence to bring peace.
The Taiwan conundrum
The summit deliberated over the issues concerning Taiwan, which remains a pivotal barrier to smooth cooperation between the nations. It is clear that no progress on the issue of Taiwan commenced in the meeting. President Biden called for peaceful movement and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese President said that the issue of Taiwan is the most potential issue in US-China relations and affirmed that China’s aim is for a peaceful reunification. China has increased military movement to try and force democratically governed Taiwan to accept Beijing’s sovereignty, despite strong objections from the Taipei government.
The Taiwan elections are on the horizon, and solidifying US-China relations before the beginning of the poll is a significant factor that can shape the relations between the two nations.
