The United States (US) and China are trying to talk their relationship off the ledge. This is the big import from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing this week, the first by America’s top diplomat in nearly five years. Mr Blinken met Chinese president Xi Jinping on the final day of his visit as part of attempts to resurrect the bilateral relationship after a set of aggressive moves in the last few years, including in the tenure of former US president Donald Trump. Ties appear to hit rock bottom earlier this year after a Chinese-owned high-altitude balloon was seen drifting over parts of the US, sparking a public outcry over what was seen as a brazen surveillance attempt, and calls for US president Joe Biden to publicly take Beijing to task. Against that backdrop, Mr Blinken’s visit this week assumes importance.
It remains unclear what this apparent thaw in the relationship entails. Across the legislative and executive branches in Washington DC, hostility to China lingers. There is also deepening suspicion and friction across the board, and hardening public opinion in both countries. The US is continuing to ramp up its presence and bolster its partners in the Indo-Pacific, and its pivot away from China is evident across sectors. Beijing’s increased impatience with the Quad in what it views as its own sphere of influence is evidence of this. The task for both countries, therefore, is to temper expectations and find a way to tamp down tensions while continuing to build capacities in opposing power blocs. Whether this model of limited cooperation and risk reduction works in a world order under churn remains to be seen.
