The stakes were high before the meeting between US President Biden and Chinese President Xi.
It is seen as a kind of test that the two leaders can find a way to stop the spiraling deterioration of relations between their two countries.
As the Americans informed the press in advance of what they wanted to achieve from the meeting, it is increasingly difficult to understand what the Chinese mean. While it is possible that Xi’s immediate goals are not as far from Biden’s as one might expect, long-term views are more difficult to reconcile.
The context is that relations between the two superpowers are the worst they have been for decades, some say, as bad as they have been since the days. WE formally recognized the government of the Communist Party and established full diplomatic relations in the late 1970s.
The list of issues that divide them is long and opinions are rooted; from Taiwanin Hong Kong, North Korea and commercial and technological development.
Neither side expressed any great optimism about this meeting in advance. Indeed, a significant breakthrough was considered highly unlikely.
But there were vague indications that there was some common ground at least about the need to communicate.
Xi’s opening remarks underscored the importance of face-to-face exchanges and underscored the fact that the world is watching. “He expects China and the US to handle the relationship properly,” she said.
This statement is likely to be more acute than self-reflective. The recent visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, the autonomous island China considers its own, has been irritating to the Chinese and has been labeled highly “irresponsible”. It was after her visit that ongoing conversations on issues such as climate change were cut short.
However, China takes its position on the world stage very seriously. She wants to be seen as a global leader and treated as such. After a long period of isolation bought by his strict zero-COVID policy, President Xi likely recognizes the importance of being seen again in high-level meetings like this one.
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There is also very likely a quiet recognition among Chinese leaders that, while he will not compromise on many issues that are close to his heart, any kind of conflict with America would be disastrous.
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In fact, there is strong evidence that Xi wanted this meeting to happen. It would take months of quiet diplomacy to clear the way, and this would not have been possible without the will of the above.
However, a shared desire to keep the lines of communication open could very well go all the way.
The real problem is that it’s not just a series of issues that divides China and the United States right now.
Underlying these problems is a profound distrust of the other’s fundamental motivations.
The Chinese believe that America has a strategic interest and, indeed, a policy of trying to contain China, to keep it under control and to prevent it from being the economic and geopolitical kingmaker it would like to be.
America believes that China wants to promote authoritarianism around the world and suppress US interests in Asia.
While both may recognize the importance of the relationship for global stability, these remain very difficult ideological positions to reconcile.
