Sino-us Relationship Warms, Despite Continuing Contradictions

On January 1, 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden exchanged congratulatory letters on the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

According to a readout from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Xi wrote that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the US is a major event in the history of bilateral and international relations, and that over the past 45 years, despite the ups and downs, the China-us relationship has on the whole moved forward, which has not only enhanced the well-being of the two peoples, but also promoted world peace, stability and prosperity. Xi stressed that “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and winwin cooperation” is always the right way for China and the US to get along with each other, and should become the common direction of bilateral relations in the new era.

Xi mentioned the summit with Biden in San Francisco in November 2023 where the two presidents laid out a future-oriented “San Francisco vision,” and charted a course for the development of China-us relations. Xi hopes that the important common understandings and outcomes will be earnestly implemented and that both countries take concrete actions to promote the stable, sound and sustainable Sino-us relationship.

Biden, according to MOFA, said in his letter that the interactions between the US and China since 1979 after the two countries established diplomatic relations have “promoted prosperity and opportunity in the US, China, and the world.” He said he is “committed to managing this important relationship responsibly and looks forward to continuing to advance the Us-china relationship based on the progress made by their predecessors as well as the progress they have made at their meetings and discussions on multiple occasions.”

Analysts believe the letters are another positive signal indicating the bilateral relationship between China and the US is warming-up in the wake of the November summit. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference after the summit that “the San Francisco meeting is significant for enhancing trust, removing suspicion, managing differences and expanding cooperation between China and the US” and is also significant for “injecting certainty and stability into a world of turbulence and transformation.”

Wang stressed that the San Francisco meeting should not be the finish line but should be a new starting point.

Just over a month later, senior military officials on China and the US resumed talks following a suspension of more than one year, which is considered a significant breakthrough in the bilateral deadlock.

However, experts warned that the meeting and dialogues do not mean that fundamental contradictions will naturally disappear, especially when the US still holds an incorrect strategic understanding of China.

In early December 2023, the US announced another round of arms sales to Taiwan, valued at US$300 million. Besides weapons, the package was reportedly to support Taiwan’s command and control, telecommunication and computing (4C) system.

In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on January 6 it is sanctioning five relevant US defense industry companies – BAE Systems Land and Armament, Alliant Techsystems Operation, Aerovironment, Viasat and Data Link Solutions. The countermeasures include freezing the properties of those companies in China, including their movable and immovable property, and prohibiting organizations and individuals in China from transactions and cooperation with them.