According to an editorial in the Global Times, US sanctions on China “have not only affected bilateral relations, but also endangered world peace and stability,” according to Asian media.
He also stressed that Beijing-Washington relations are among the most important in the world’s bilateral exchanges, which is why their stabilization after the ups and downs in 2022 is important under the attention of the whole world.
In early 2023, the Global Times reported, Chinese Foreign Ministry head Qin Gang spoke with US State Department head Antony Blinken to express his hope that close cooperation between the two nations would be maintained.
After the meeting in Bali, Indonesia, between the Presidents of China and the United States Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, world analysts have expressed cautious optimism about a warmer rapprochement between Beijing and Washington, Chinese media stressed.
The editorial felt that 2022 had reached a dangerous level of animosity between the two countries, which are the world’s top economic powerhouses, according to figures from the World Bank, due to disagreements surrounding the island of Taiwan.
A high point of tension was the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei, which the Global Times described as a provocation.
The visit “has severely hit the foundation of China-US relations and worsened the already weak mutual trust between the two countries,” he said.
Another source of hostility was that the White House identified Beijing as its key strategic competitor, in addition to imposing sanctions on the Asian giant’s trade and pursuing a policy of spinning off its markets in relation to the high-tech industrial chain.
However, the editorial estimates that the bilateral relationship’s communication mechanisms are recovering, amid consensus that the deterioration should not reach a runaway point.
“Both sides face the challenges of post-pandemic economic recovery, with the United States facing elections in 2024. There are indeed signs that 2023 could be the best year for a smoothing between China and the United States, and now is the best time for cooperation,” the Global Times added.
However, the newspaper acknowledged that this stabilization window is still very fragile and needs to be reconsidered by Washington. Even if Biden works towards a rapprochement with China and lawmakers maintain their hostile stance towards the Asian giant, it could result in a mine poised to explode at any moment.
“Despite signs of warmth in China-US relations, however, issues such as the Taiwan issue and the industrial chain have not been resolved and could suddenly deteriorate at any time due to US internal factors,” he said.
Global Times added that in a world with multiple challenges, the largest countries must set examples of cooperation, and therefore urged Washington to promote dialogue and exchange rather than confrontation and an always winning mentality.