of meeting, meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping exchanged warm smiles with Bill Gates in Beijing on Friday, praising him as the “first American friend” he met this year.
The meeting between Secretary of State Anthony J. Brinken and the Chinese side in Beijing, which begins Sunday, will be remarkably frosty.
high level conference These policies are aimed at getting US-China relations back on track, with many US business leaders urging the Biden administration to restore some stability to one of the world’s most important bilateral relations. I am trying.
But business leaders and officials from both sides appear to have low hopes for the meeting, which has two main objectives. One is to restore communication between governments, which has been a problem this year. Chinese surveillance balloon After entering U.S. airspace, Mr. Blinken canceled a planned visit in February. The other is to prevent further deterioration of bilateral relations.
There is already evidence that frayed cords are having an effect.Foreign direct investment in China has declined Lowest level in 18 years. A 2023 survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China showed that while companies still see the Chinese market as a priority, their willingness to invest in China is declining.
Jake Colvin, president of the National Foreign Trade Council, which represents multinationals, said: “Economic relations have been very dire and any signs of progress are welcome, but hopes of any breakthrough are low.” Stated.
“It is hoped that such high-level dialogue will begin to bring a degree of certainty to business in an increasingly difficult and unpredictable trade relationship,” he said.
Still, as one of the world’s largest consumer markets and home to many factories supplying global companies, China is a powerful draw. This year, a parade of chief executives visited China as travel restrictions eased after a three-year pandemic lockdown. Mary Barra of General Motors, Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase and Blackstone’s Stephen Schwartzman.
Tesla CEO and Twitter owner Elon Musk visited China this month, describing the US and Chinese economies as “conjoined twins” and saying he opposes efforts to divide the two countries. . Apple CEO Tim Cook visited China in March, admired A “symbiotic” relationship between companies and the state.
Sam Altman, lead at OpenAI, which creates the ChatGPT chatbot, said: appeared virtually At a conference in Beijing this month, he said U.S. and Chinese researchers should continue working together to counter the risks of artificial intelligence.
The tech industry, which has forged lucrative relationships with Chinese manufacturers and consumers, is closely watching the US government’s aggressive approach to China. Industry groups acknowledge the importance of the move to protect national security, but urge the Biden administration to cautiously coordinate its actions.
Wendy Cutler, a former diplomat and trade negotiator now deputy director of the Asian Institute for Social Policy, said the U.S. and China could announce some small progress at the end of the talks. He said governments could agree to issue more visas to the few flights between their countries or to foreign visitors.
But both sides will have plenty of grievances to vent, Cutler said. Chinese officials are likely to complain about U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and restrictions on U.S. companies selling much-needed chip technology to China.US officials may emphasize Deteriorating business environment in China and the recent move to a law firm It covers important information from purchasing a microchip manufactured by Micron, USA.
“I don’t expect any progress, especially on the economic front,” Cutler said, adding that “neither side wants to be smiling.”
U.S. officials hope Mr Blinken’s visit will pave the way for further cooperation, including on issues such as climate change and restructuring the debt burden of developing countries. Other officials, including Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen, are also considering a visit to China this year, and Mr. Xi and President Biden will meet at the Group of 20 (G20) meeting in Delhi in September or in San Francisco. They may meet in person at one of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Conferences. in November.
In recent months, Biden officials have pushed for closer ties in an effort to mend the rift between the two countries. “Constructive” Relationships. They sympathized with the demands of European officials, “Risk Reduction and Diversification” Economic relations with China are not “decoupling”.
But trust between governments has been eroded, and Chinese officials appear skeptical about how far the Biden administration can go to mend ties.
of Extensive US restrictions A document released in October about semiconductor technology that could be shared with China continues to irritate Beijing officials. The United States has added dozens of Chinese companies to its sanctions list for aiding China’s military and surveillance state and circumventing U.S. restrictions on trade with Iran and Russia.
Biden administration officials are weighing additional long-overdue restrictions on China. Certain US venture capital investments.And the White House will face intense pressure from Congress Greater efforts need to be made to crack down on national security threats emanating from Beijing.
Not all companies are pushing for better relationships. Some people who have had less to do with China are seeking political gain in Washington from increased competition from China. Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta have repeatedly voiced concerns about Chinese-owned video app TikTok, a strong competitor for Instagram.
“It’s really a controversy over degrees,” said James Lewis, senior vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “How kind? How confrontational?”
Lewis said exposure to the Chinese market is related to how aggressively companies are resisting tensions with China.
“I think a lot of this has to do with your presence in China,” he said.
