As US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo prepares for her visit to China, a series of positive signals from the US have emerged, including the removal of 27 Chinese entities from its unverified list, as well as remarks that the US is not seeking to “decouple” from China, made by US national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Raimondo’s discussion with Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the US, was also described as “productive.”
Chinese experts view Raimondo’s visit as a “litmus test” to gauge the sincerity of the US in repairing bilateral relations. While experts acknowledge that a single visit cannot resolve all issues, they believe that reaching consensus in practical areas would lay the groundwork for future negotiations.
The US’s recent positive signals suggest a departure from the “decoupling” narrative. Experts emphasize that decoupling from a significant economy like China is not supported by the majority of the world and will only lead to isolation.
Ambassador Xie Feng and Raimondo recently discussed China-US economic and trade ties, with Xie emphasizing the importance of global cooperation in light of ongoing challenges. He called for a longer list of cooperation between the two countries and a shorter negative list to stabilize bilateral relations.
China’s Ministry of Commerce announced Raimondo’s China trip, where she is expected to meet with senior Chinese officials and business executives in Beijing and Shanghai.
Lü Xiang, a US studies expert, considers Raimondo’s visit a test of US sincerity. While changing the US’s competitive posture is unrealistic, practical economic and trade cooperation and effective management of differences can provide a foundation for bilateral relations.
Despite the positive signals, over 600 Chinese companies and institutions remain on the US’s entity list, targeting Chinese technology companies. The US’s realization that decoupling isn’t supported by allies has led to a shift in language, emphasizing “de-risking” over decoupling.
The dialogue between the US and China is expected to address concerns over curbing Chinese technological development, a major issue for China.
Trade between the two economies has been strained due to ongoing trade and tech conflicts. While the US’s efforts may impact direct trade, the flow of Chinese commodities into the US through intermediaries like Mexico and Canada suggests strong economic interdependence.
Experts anticipate that if specific issues can be settled through dialogue, it could pave the way for improvement and the establishment of working groups to address ongoing concerns.