Source: GT Published: 2024-05-30

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu kicked off a visit to the US on Thursday at the latter's invitation, which is a continuation of bilateral high-level exchanges and interactions at various levels, observers said.

Ma's four-day visit and diverse agenda can help inject stability into bilateral ties amid disputes over several issues and the impact of US presidential elections, said analysts, who reiterated China's belief that the hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in grassroots connections, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from subnational exchanges.

Ma is scheduled to visit the US from May 30 to June 2, during which he will hold consultations with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and interact and communicate with representatives from various sectors in the US, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The talks are aimed at maintaining open communication channels to prevent miscalculations and unintended conflicts, especially during times of tension, Voice of America reported Thursday.

Ma's visit also comes alongside multiple examples of bilateral engagement, including the second round of China-US maritime affairs consultations, and the US-China high-level event on subnational climate action. Defense chiefs of the two countries may also meet at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

Moderate expectations

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, expected rich and diverse activities during Ma's visit, which help implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state in 2023 in San Francisco and also continue the momentum of intensive high-level bilateral interactions since 2024.

During US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's China visit in April, the two countries reached five points of consensus, including continuing to follow the guidance of the heads of state of both countries, striving to stabilize and develop China-US relations, and maintaining high-level exchanges and contacts at all levels.

Ma's visit also shows China's sincerity in responsibly managing differences with the US, as it is in line with China's interests, benefits both countries and reflects the shared will of the international community, despite multiple US-stoked negative factors bringing new risks to the relationship, Li told the Global Times on Thursday.

The US government has increased tariffs on a range of Chinese imports, with the Chinese maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors coming under new investigations and expected to be the next targets, according to media reports.

Under US instigation, the Philippines has heightened its provocations in the South China Sea, causing uncertainties and prompting concerns from other regional countries.

As for the most sensitive topic - the Taiwan question - collusion between the secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the US constitutes a potential flashpoint with new regional leader Lai Ching-te's blatant 'Taiwan independence' attempts.

Bilateral relations face challenges of miscalculation and US' internal politics, while some neutral and benign voices on China are suppressed, Li said.

It is hoped that through Ma's visit, and more engagement at different levels, a healthier and more objective China view can be fostered to counter the extreme and biased political atmosphere in the US, the expert said.

Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Thursday that China-US interactions have shown a pattern of both 'hard confrontation and soft cooperation' and 'major competition and minor cooperation.'

Wang explained that while the US treats China as a strategic rival and seeks across-the-board competition with it, cooperation continues in 'soft and concrete areas,' such as the climate change response and giant panda conservation.

Analysts emphasized that China has now been engaging with the US in the belief that the hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in grassroots connections, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from subnational exchanges.

While American policymakers born during the Cold War era find it difficult to shake off their ideological bias, the younger generation could be more realistic and pragmatic, Wang said, as he expects Ma to engage with local youth during his stay.

Habitually 'playing tough'

Ahead of meeting Ma, Campbell said on Wednesday in Brussels that Chinese support was helping to revitalize Russia's military capabilities, including long-range missiles, artillery, drones and battlefield tracking, media reported Thursday.

The US State Department's second-highest diplomat emphasized the urgent need for European and NATO countries 'to send a collective message of concern to China about its actions.'

Campbell's remarks in Brussels conform to the US' habitual method of playing tough toward China before a meeting, in the hope of dominating the tone and direction of the talks, Li said.

Wang said Campbell's rhetoric is very much influenced by the Biden administration's election needs.

When the Republican candidate Donald Trump said publicly that he could end the Ukraine war within a day of returning to the presidency, the incumbent Biden administration had to react, and came up with pledge of more weapons aid and scapegoating China.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict will definitely be on the agenda, though bilateral disagreement is wide-ranging, Wang said.

China has not confirmed that it will participate in a peace conference to be convened in Switzerland in mid-June, and China-US communication on the issue could facilitate its political settlement, he said.

Blaming China serves the US interests in two ways: sowing discord between China and Europe, and diverting pressure from the US over its failure in handling the conflict, Li said, 'but we are inclined to believe that European countries have the strategic wisdom and rationality to see the true knots of the conflict.'

China firmly opposes the US shifting blame to China, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian said on Thursday, adding that China stays committed to promoting peace talks and finding a political settlement to the crisis. Unlike the US side, we don't deliberately protract wars for profits.

China always adopts a prudent and responsible attitude toward exports of military products, and strictly manages export of dual-use articles. Statistics show that Russia imports more than 60 percent of weapon components and dual-use items from the US and Western countries, Wu said.

The US provides military aid to Ukraine at an unprecedented level, but at the same time, makes baseless accusations against normal economic and trade activities between China and Russia. This is typical double standards and is extremely hypocritical and irresponsible, the spokesperson said.