Over the past few years, the US-China relations have been quite poor, despite their interconnected economies. This conflict escalated heavily during Trump’s presidency with the many tariffs placed on China. The conflict continued with the many tech restrictions under the Biden administration. Conflict continued as earlier this February 2023, a Chinese spy balloon was caught on US ground. In short, US-China relations have been decreasing, and each side has been taking steps to defend itself, resulting in a greater insecurity for the other.
Due to their economic connections, Biden has been pushing to improve these relations. This past Wednesday November 15, 2023, President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met to discuss actions and policies but to also break the year long silence. After this 4 hour productive conversation, both presidents came out with positive sentiment, demonstrating the improvement in the relationship.
Biden and Jinping discussed and agreed on many topics, ranging from military to overdose. Both leaders agreed to restart military communications and also agreed to take steps to tackle the flow of fentanyl into the US, which has contributed to a rise in overdose deaths in the country. Jinping was apart of this fentanyl conversation as Chinese manufacturing companies are a source not only of the synthetic opioid itself but also of precursor chemicals which can be combined to make it.
There were also many topics discussed that didn’t lead to agreement. Recently, US has implaced export controls on advanced technology, such as semiconductors, which Jinping complained upon, saying that these controls were intended to suppress China. Also, the two sides didn’t make much progress on systems to ban the use of artificial intelligence to manage their nuclear arsenals.
Overall, Biden and Jinping discussed a lot, leading to some agreements and some disagreements. But in the end, the result of this discussion was positive sentiments and steps towards a positive relationship again.
This is important as the stability of U.S.-China relations is pivotal for global economic stability, trade, and supply chains. Beyond economic considerations, their collaboration is vital for addressing international security challenges, such as nuclear proliferation and regional conflicts. Both nations play crucial roles in the fight against climate change, making their cooperation essential for global environmental sustainability. Joint efforts in technology and innovation benefit not only the U.S. and China but also contribute to worldwide advancements. Diplomatically, a stable relationship enhances their ability to find effective solutions to shared challenges. People-to-people connections foster cultural understanding, and avoiding escalation is critical to prevent tensions from evolving into conflicts with global consequences. In essence, stable U.S.-China relations are integral to various facets of global cooperation and stability.
Ayan Kumar's Blog 