A top Chinese official on Saturday referred to the incoming Biden administration as “a new window of hope” for China’s relations with the U.S.
In an interview with China’s Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed aspirations for China-U.S. relations in the next administration, saying, “China-U.S. relations have come to a new crossroads, and a new window of hope is opening.”
Yi claimed that China is prepared to “restore normalcy” and develop a relationship with the U.S. “based on coordination, cooperation and stability.”
President Donald Trump has cracked down on China throughout his administration, imposing sanctions, tariffs, and more to punish China for what he has described as “ripping off” the U.S.
Yi said that the U.S. has been attempting to “suppress China and start a new Cold War” under the Trump administration, efforts which he said has caused harm to the people of both nations and disrupted the world.
Yi said the U.S. is “uneasy” about China’s growth and development, and is “simply wrong” to view China as a threat.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping congratulated Biden in November on his 2020 election win, though he did not add any details on future relations with the Biden administration.
Biden said last month that he would not immediately roll back tariffs on Chinese exports imposed by the Trump administration.
“I’m not going to make any immediate moves, and the same applies to the tariffs,” he told New York Times. “I’m not going to prejudice my options.”
Biden instead said he will review U.S.-China agreements and consult with allies to develop a strategy.
“The best China strategy, I think, is one which gets every one of our — or at least what used to be our — allies on the same page. It’s going to be a major priority for me in the opening weeks of my presidency to try to get us back on the same page with our allies,” Biden said.
Biden added that the U.S. did not currently have leverage over China, but leverage is something that his administration would need to develop to better deal with China. He said that greater investments in industrial policy at home would help establish some leverage.
“I want to make sure we’re going to fight like hell by investing in America first,” Biden said. “I’m not going to enter any new trade agreement with anybody until we have made major investments here at home and in our workers.”
