CHINA’S perceived mending of ‘friendly’ relations with the United States after a regime change in the White House may not be a smooth affair as the communist leadership had planned. Such inference can be drawn from the first call between US President Mr. Joe Biden and Chinese premier Mr. Xi Jinping after the former assumed new office. Mr. Biden was clear in his concerns over China’s coercive and unfair economic practices, its crackdown in Hong Kong increasing aggression in the region with Vietnam being the focal point, and human rights abuses in the Xinjiang province.

 

All the issues touch a raw nerve in the Chinese leadership as reflected in Mr. Jinping’s caution that the two powers had to cooperate or risk calamity.

 

Dealing with China may be the most challenging foreign relationship of Mr. Biden’s presidency. The call summary suggests that the POTUS chose the old way of dealing with tricky powers as he issued warnings while offering to cooperate on global priorities of mutual interest. This is a far cry from the way of functioning of Mr. Donald Trump, who sought a grand trade deal before bitterly turning on China as a hegemonic power.