Prior to President Trump’s first administration, presidents prioritized fostering a constructive relationship between the U.S. and China through engagement, recognizing the importance of aligning mutual interests to maintain stability and avoid conflict.
This strategy of engagement reached its zenith during the George W. Bush administration. Delegations regularly traveled between Washington and Beijing, with high-level dialogues occurring almost monthly. Of course, engagement was not limited to diplomacy; it extended across multiple levels of government. Agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Federal Aviation Administration and Internal Revenue Service engaged directly with their Chinese counterparts, exchanging expertise and fostering cooperation.
Upon taking office in 2017, Trump changed the connection with China from engagement to confrontation. He greeted China with demands for market access and reciprocity. To him, previous administration efforts were too slow, ineffective and not aligned with U.S. interests — particularly in addressing the U.S. trade deficit, which was central to his thinking.
He made a stark shift from the collaborative approach of previous administrations and shocked every established channel of cooperation with China. Trump halted Cabinet-level relationship-building and canceled longstanding, regularly scheduled dialogues. These mechanisms for engagement were replaced by public, unilateral demands, signaling a very confrontational stance.
The strategy didn’t work. Today, the trade deficit with China remained unaddressed and little changed.
Former President Joe Biden entered office in 2021 with the intent of recalibrating U.S.-China relations, promising a more balanced and nuanced approach. This vision quickly unraveled; just three months into his administration, the first high-level meeting between U.S. and Chinese officials, in Anchorage, Alaska, set a new combative tone.
The U.S. team came to discuss Taiwan, Hong Kong, espionage, military expansion and human rights violations — all topics considered sensitive to the Chinese. These issues, rather than trade, framed the discussions. In the end, the Chinese delegation criticized the U.S. for being “condescending,” while U.S. officials accused China of “grandstanding.” This began a contentious dynamic that persisted throughout Biden’s term, even to today, characterized by limited engagement and no collaboration.
Now, a new administration represents an opportunity to recalibrate U.S.-China relations once again. Trump has greeted China with huge demands for market access and reciprocity. His tariffs on Chinese goods are consistent with his negotiation style: starting with tall positions before converging on a pragmatic solution. Such tactics are contentious but have the potential to bring China back to the negotiating table.
While his guiding principles have not changed, he may be more practical the second time around. Trump has a more experienced team, and they will be focused on commercial objectives that the Chinese are comfortable talking about, like intellectual property, U.S. exports, financial services access, Chinese subsidies, and generally improving market access. This may be a gift for China. They will be better served by engagement with the Trump administration than they were by no engagement with the Biden administration. China can finally expect some kind of reset.
Renewed dialogue could address economic and business issues where both nations have commonality. A return to diplomacy, even under challenging conditions, would serve both countries better than the status quo of stagnation and distrust — but China needs to come to the negotiating table first.
James Rice worked and lived in China from 1991 to 2016 and served as governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai from 2006 to 2012.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Trump 2.0 has an opportunity to reset US-China relations )
Also on site :