(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) Charles Kupchan is a senior researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States and a professor at Georgetown University. During the Obama and Clinton administrations, he served as a member of the National Security Council. He analyzed the key points of this visit for Deutsche Welle.
Deutsche Welle: Why did Biden and Xi Jinping meet?
Kupgan:I think that, first of all, with the deteriorating relationship between the United States and China on Taiwan and a series of other issues, this is an effort made under a very difficult situation. The two sides first find a foundation.
Deutsche Welle: What can be expected?
Kupgan:They may try to establish a more proactive and forward-looking agenda on climate, arms control, pandemics, etc., but I am not very convinced that this negotiation can bring much progress. I don’t think we will hear some big headlines, some big moves come out. The first goal of this meeting was to say, “Hey, let’s see if we can create a certain bottom line in our relationship.”
Deutsche Welle: Where is the biggest point of disagreement?
Kupgan:Taiwan is clearly one of the most difficult issues in the relationship between the two countries, because neither side will give in. The Biden administration has made it clear that it will double its support for Taiwan’s independence, or at least support the separation of Taiwan from one China.
Deutsche Welle: What is the focus of the Taiwan issue?
Kupgan:The question will be what can both parties do to cool down? What can be done to ensure that accidents do not happen? Perhaps the idea is to formulate a set of rules and confidence-building measures, a bit like those that existed during the Cold War, to ensure that Chinese and Taiwanese forces do not conflict, and to develop similar codes of conduct for the United States and China. The two sides do not intend to resolve this issue, but the point is, can the conflict be managed effectively?
Deutsche Welle: The importance of this meeting.
Kupgan:I think it is very important to worship both of them. For Xi Jinping, this is a symbol of China’s arrival. There is a three-hour summit with the President of the United States. For Biden, I think this is important because he really wants to try to establish a dialogue. The problem here in the United States is not only a security issue, but also a supply chain. Will China fulfill its trade promises and buy more soybeans from the United States? These are all issues that American voters are concerned about.
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