Opinion | Should President Xi be in meeting? Consider the American senators already in Beijing

By Augustus K. Yeung

INTRODUCTION

Should Xi Jinping meet group of American senators? Analysts have reportedly said that he would not be meeting them.

Of all the factions in American functional groups at the federal level, the US Senators are the toughest nuts to crack. Would Xi skip the meeting? Should he?!

President Xi Jinping may not appreciate these analysts' advice; It's not enterprising enough.

As a man constantly on the move, his stature is on the rise. It's folk wisdom: "Everybody loves a winner". Washington's "China hawks" included.

For Xi this meeting of minds – with powerful US Senators – may enhance his enterprise-building. He may add them to the list of "Xi's new admirers."

Seriously study the text below. After all, analysts aren't punters; they don't realize that Biden is now doubling down, waging high-stake bets on a winner.

Analysts: President Xi is not Likely to Meet American Senators in Beijing Next Week Because…

President Xi Jinping is not expected to meet a group of American senators in Beijing next week –

because of the poor prospect of a concrete outcome from the trip, according to analysts.

The office of United States Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer yesterday confirmed he would lead a delegation to China this month, becoming the first US congressional group to visit China in four years.

His office said the trip would feature meetings with both government officials and business leaders, according to Reuters.

Republican Senator Mike Crapo, who is co-leading the group with Schumer, previously told Bloomberg that the trip was planned for next week.

China has not confirmed the trip which comes after a flurry of visits by senior US officials in effort by Washington and Beijing to step up engagement despite their growing rivalry.

Crapo said the delegation hoped to meet Xi, who skipped the G20 summit for the first-time last month, dashing hopes of a highly anticipated meeting with US President Joe Biden.

But analysts said a meeting was unlikely, given the persistent tensions between the two powers and the lack of progress on sticking points following previous visits of US officials.

Analysts: The Trip was Unlikely to Lead to a "Positive Outcome" for Beijing…it is just Public Relations.

Einer Tangen, senior fellow at the Beijing-based Taihe Institute, said the trip was unlikely to lead to a "positive outcome" for Beijing. "It is doubtful that Xi Jinping would meet Schumer. He is a China hawk, who is in Beijing pushing Biden's agenda." Tangen said.

He said that if the delegation's agenda remained to "pretend to engage China while justifying their beliefs and actions", it would not add to the previous trips by other US officials.

"China is hosting them – to show openness – but unless the US delegation is willing to engage in constructive dialogue, it's just [public relations]," he said.

Since June, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, climate envoy John Kerry, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo have visited China, with both sides agreeing to maintain communications.

But little has changed on the structural issues between the two countries. Despite some progress on resuming people-to-people exchanges and establishing economic and financial working groups, the tit-for-tat tech competition continues and military communication lines between the two countries remain stalled.

Schumer is known for his hawkish stand on Beijing and is an advocate of tougher measures against China to curb its hi-tech and military development.

His office said his goal for the trip was to "advance US economic and national security interests" while focusing on "the need for reciprocity in China for US businesses that will level the playing field for American workers, as well as on maintaining US-leadership in advanced technologies for national security".

Crapo told Bloomberg the delegation hoped to engage with Beijing – to create opportunities for their conflicts to be resolved.

He said they would raise the issue of sanctions on US chip giant Micron Technology, which has been banned from key infrastructure projects in China.

Note: The ban came after the US introduced semiconductor export controls to limit China's access to advanced chip technology.

Chong Ja Ian, a US-China relations specialist at the National University of Singapore, said Beijing was likely to use the talks – to raise concerns about American tech restrictions, US activities in the South and East China seas and Taiwan.

He said it was unclear whether the delegation would get to meet Xi and it would be worth noting the seniority of the officials representing China in the discussions to see "how seriously Beijing takes the visit". (Source: SCMP)

CONCLUSION

Before the announcement of the delegation's visit to Beijing, an opportunity for a meeting of minds was entertained given that the US Senate houses the most hostile people towards China, especially the CPC. One would imagine organizing Chinese national delegates, therefore, to visit the US senate – to ultimately change those biased senators' negative thinking.

Now the senators are presenting themselves in Beijing. It shows their willingness to communicate, although with an agenda in mind. But this may turn out to be a window of opportunity – to start improving the bilateral relations.

As Lao Tze believes, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

In international relations, communication is first-and-last. Between Chinese officials and US senators, be they hawks, or mockingbirds, something is bound to happen – as international politics is changing rapidly in favor of China. For example, India and Canada is having a serious brawl. The US may be caught with its pants down.

In addition, BRICS's unexpected expansion has greatly enhanced Xi Jinping's international stature; practically all the world's leaders are lining up to visit Beijing. And have their photos taken with the Chinese president.

Knowing President Xi's logical thinking, noting that it's about "creating [positive] preconditions" for future meetings, China has everything to gain from contacts with the US, especially the Senate, the last bastion and the stronghold that is anti-China.

 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.

To contact the writer, please direct email: AugustusKYeung@ymail.com

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