WASHINGTON/BEIJING, Oct 26 (Portal) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi begins a long-awaited visit to Washington on Thursday as the United States and China seek to resolve deep strategic differences and pave the way for an expected summit between Presidents Joe Biden and Joe Biden to pave for Xi Jinping.
The Middle East war has added new momentum to tense relations between the superpowers, and Washington hopes Beijing can use its influence over Iran to ensure the Israel-Hamas conflict does not spread to the wider region.
But while both Beijing and Washington have spoken of looking for areas where they can work together, and Xi said on Wednesday that China is ready to work together on global challenges, experts do not expect immediate progress.
The Biden administration’s priority toward Beijing has been to prevent intense competition between the world’s two largest economies and disagreements on a wide range of issues, from trade with Taiwan to the South China Sea, from leading to conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will welcome Wang to the State Department on Thursday and told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday he would work with him to prevent the Middle East conflict from expanding.
Political analysts in China and the United States say both sides have a common interest in averting a larger war and that China, as a major oil buyer, could have significant influence over Iran.
But whether Beijing will take advantage of this remains to be seen, and experts believe China could instead sit on the sidelines for a while.
“The Chinese certainly have an interest in preventing a direct confrontation between the U.S. and Iran because they are big oil consumers and that would drive up prices,” said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
“Still, it is unlikely that the Chinese will make much effort here. I assume they want a seat at the table when the Israel-Gaza conflict is resolved, but they do not feel the need or ability to expedite the resolution.”
WANG, BIDEN
Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at China’s Renmin University, said Beijing’s exercise of its influence over Iran is “almost the only serious and practical expectation the US has of China regarding the situation in the Middle East.”
However, Shi added: “The US position on Iran is far from acceptable to China and vice versa. Mutual compromise on this issue may be too limited and too small to be significant.”
Washington has stressed the importance of China’s ability to influence Iran. During a turbulent trip to the Middle East last week, Blinken spoke by telephone with Wang and asked him to use Beijing’s influence to ensure the conflict does not expand.
China has called for restraint and a ceasefire in response to Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that Israel said killed 1,400 people. More than 6,500 people were killed in Israeli retaliatory attacks, the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip said on Wednesday. Portal could not independently verify the casualty figures from either side.
“China has worked tirelessly to promote the cessation of hostilities and the restoration of peace. We have maintained close communication with the parties concerned,” China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said on Tuesday.
Wang’s visit to Washington comes after several senior US officials, including Blinken, visited Beijing in recent months.
The veteran Chinese diplomat is expected to meet Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Friday. He is also expected to speak with Biden during his visit to the White House, according to two US officials, although it is unclear how extensive their interaction will be.
ROAD TO THE BIDEN XI MEETING
Analysts expect discussions to focus on preparations for an expected meeting between Biden and Xi on the sidelines of the November 11-17 summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in San Francisco. It would be the first meeting between Biden and Xi. Meeting of people since a summit in Bali last November.
“There are key things that need to be clarified and finalized,” said Yun Sun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington. “(Wang) will only be here for the negotiations – the big results remain for the announcement by the top politicians.”
On Wednesday, Xi said it was crucial for the world whether Washington and Beijing could find the “right” way to get along and manage their differences.
Both sides approach APEC from different economic perspectives. Economic policy analysts say the U.S. has weathered difficult global conditions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic slightly better than China.
US and Chinese officials held a virtual meeting on macroeconomic developments on Monday. The talks were described as “productive and substantive” by the US and “in-depth, open and constructive” by China.
U.S. officials said Taiwan and the South and East China Seas would also be on the agenda, where they accused Beijing of “destabilizing and dangerous actions” against rival territorial claims.
They said restoring military ties with China remains a top priority for the US to avoid accidental conflicts.
The Chinese tabloid Global Times pointed out contradictions in the relationship.
“Although Sino-American interactions have recovered rapidly in various areas,” the U.S. policy of trying to “contain” China has not changed, it said, accusing Washington of “ambivalent tactics” that “often takes advantage of various opportunities.” to discredit China and create tension.”
Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and David Brunnstrom in Washington and Laurie Chen in Beijing; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt. Editing by Josie Kao
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