
The leaders of China and the United States met in Lima, the capital of Peru. This is the third face-to-face meeting between the current top leaders of the two countries, the first meeting between China and the US dollar after the US election in 2024, and the last meeting of President Joe Biden’s presidency. Naturally, it has become a high-profile event during the APEC Summit. How do you view this’ farewell meeting ‘and how does China US relations’ bid farewell to the old and welcome the new’?
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Trump won the election, but he will not take office until January 20, 2025, so Joe Biden will remain president for two months. These two months are crucial for China US relations. You should know that the previous US government intensified its attack on China towards the end of its term, attempting to drag the new government into a tough mess against China. Such absurd accusations have been accepted by the current US government, and their legacy remains undiminished to this day.
History is not far off. At present, the overall relationship between China and the United States is stable, but there are still many negative factors, and the adventurous impulse of a small group of extreme hawks also exists in reality. The more sensitive the period of transition between old and new, the more important it is for China and the United States to maintain the momentum of dialogue and communication to ensure a smooth transition in bilateral relations.
Head of state diplomacy has always been a strategic guide for the development of China US relations, and the interaction between the leaders of the two countries is a valuable strategic asset. A meeting between the two heads of state can stabilize the relationship between China and the United States. After the 2022 Bali summit, the two countries emerged from the low point in their relationship caused by Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Before and after the 2023 San Francisco Summit, the two sides restored and established more than 20 communication mechanisms, significantly increased direct flights between China and the United States, opened the eyes of young Americans with the “Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five Year Five.
The international community also expects the leaders of China and the United States to sit down and talk. The world has been chaotic enough. Now Donald Trump 2.0’s grey rhinoceros is coming again, and we can’t afford to toss around, let alone fight with elephants and suffer grass. Therefore, any signals of stabilization and improvement between China and the United States are precious, injecting stability and positive energy into the turbulent world.
From the perspective of personal factors of the leaders, the two heads of state have been in contact for over a decade, with three face-to-face meetings and six video conferences or phone calls in the past four years, and they are very familiar with each other. Biden often publicly states that he has spent more time with Chinese leaders than any other country’s leader, with a cumulative meeting time of dozens of hours and a journey of over 20000 kilometers together.
The Chinese people value friendship and justice, pay attention to communication, start and finish, and this last offline meeting is an opportunity for in-depth exchanges between the two leaders.
Of course, the significance of the Lima meeting is many, but more importantly, it is to build on the past and look forward to the future. The Joe Biden era is about to turn over. What are the successes and failures of China US relations, and what are the lessons? As the era of Donald Trump 2.0 is approaching, how will China respond and what guiding principles will China propose? These are all mandatory questions for this meeting.
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Chinese people have always attached importance to “reviewing the past and learning the new”. The ancients warned us, ‘If future generations mourn without learning from it, it will also make future generations mourn again.’. It has been 45 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, and China has also had dealings with the current US government for 4 years. Americans always say that the US China relationship is the most complex bilateral relationship in the world, but the truth of country to country exchanges and people to people relations is basically the same: when the other party is a partner and friend, the relationship can be good; Treating the other party as an opponent and enemy will lead to problems in the relationship.
Based on this basic judgment, the Chinese side summarized the “seven inspirations” at the Lima meeting: first, we must have a correct strategic understanding; second, we must keep our promises and act with results; third, we must treat each other equally; fourth, we cannot challenge the red line or bottom line; fifth, we must engage in more dialogue and cooperation; sixth, we must respond to the expectations of the people; seventh, we must demonstrate the responsibility of a great power.
The “Lima Seven Points” summarize both positive experiences and negative lessons; It not only points out the root causes of the setbacks in Sino US relations, but also provides a prescription for stable development; It not only embodies the stance of governing for the people, but also demonstrates the achievements of global governance. As long as both sides keep these seven points in mind, Sino US relations are expected to break free from the historical fate of the “Thucydides Trap”, surpass the reality dilemma of the “New Cold War”, and once again write the era story of “Wu Yue on the same boat”.
Dealing between two major powers cannot be without competition and contradictions, but what is important is the starting point and subjective intention of both sides in developing their relationship. All the issues in Sino US relations can be summed up in a soul questioning, which is whether the United States can achieve the democracy and equality it has always advocated, and sincerely accept the development and revitalization of an Eastern power with a history, system, and culture that are different from its own.
The relationship between China and the United States has never been a favor given by one side to the other, let alone a plunder by one side towards the other. If the United States really cares about democracy and equality, then it should at least show respect for another form of civilization, try to learn some Chinese historical, cultural, and philosophical knowledge, and not mirror China with its own path, judge China with its own values, and make assumptions about China with its own mistakes.
History tells us that China and the United States can fully seek common ground while reserving differences, achieve mutual success, and illuminate each other. At the beginning of the 21st century, we joined forces to combat terrorist forces, and counter-terrorism cooperation became a highlight of China US relations. In 2008, we worked together to address the international financial crisis, which not only stabilized the global financial system but also prompted the two countries to strengthen economic policy coordination. From 2014 to 2016, the Ebola epidemic ravaged West Africa, and China and the United States rushed to assist West African countries while maintaining exchanges and cooperation. When Chinese aid arrived in Liberia, American soldiers also helped unload and transport it. These scenes seem like a world apart, but they are all true facts.
History also reminds us that China and the United States are completely at risk of being coerced, kidnapped, engaged in vicious competition, and mutually consumed. In 2019, the United States launched a trade war and tariff war against China, which made the people of the two countries suffer a lot. Many data show that the tariffs were finally paid by American importers and consumers. During the COVID-19, the United States advocated the “Chinese virus” to dump the blame, which blocked the Sino US anti epidemic cooperation, and also caused a backattack on the United States’ own anti epidemic. In 2023, a Chinese “stray balloon” caused the United States to be on edge, leading to a temporary halt in communication and dialogue between the two sides. These past events are unbearable to look back on, but they are also alarm bells still ringing in our ears.
History has shown us that no matter how many setbacks and setbacks China US relations encounter, they will eventually return to the right track. This is not only the ancient wisdom of the East, but also the trend of the current era and the call of the people.
The Chinese advocate “dual use” and advocate the way of “neutralization”, that is, we should not be extreme, but find the greatest common denominator through dialogue and consultation to achieve the beauty of beauty, beauty and common. The Earth is so big that humans must work together as one. Our planet is also evolving from binary zero sum in the past to a multi-dimensional future, and this’ entity ‘is the community with a shared future for mankind.