New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) A day after Beijing accused Washington of misrepresenting its defence policy in a recent Pentagon report, an article published by China’s state-controlled news portal stressed bilateral ties “in the economic and trade sphere” and their global impact.
“International relations have never been smooth sailing. It requires wisdom and responsibility to stabilize the course and steer the overall situation amid turbulent waves,” People’s Daily Online observed on Friday.
“Looking back at history, the lessons are clear: For the sake of our shared responsibility and future, China and the US should and can cooperate,” it added later.
The reference was made in the context of this year marking the “80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War”, when “China and the US fought side by side, making significant contributions to defending peace and justice and saving human civilization during its darkest moment”, the article noted.
US-China trade tensions escalated earlier this year when President Donald Trump’s administration reimposed and increased tariffs on imports from Beijing, citing concerns such as trade imbalances, illicit fentanyl exports and national security issues linked to technology transfers.
China responded with reciprocal tariffs targeting key US exports, including agricultural goods, industrial machinery and rare earth minerals.
Amid global trade disruptions and economic uncertainty, diplomatic efforts led to multiple rounds of negotiations. President Trump’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in South Korea last month did ease tensions to some extent, though without yielding a formal comprehensive trade agreement.
Referring to the meeting, the column pointed out how “head-of-state diplomacy between China and the US has played a crucial role as an anchor, calibrating the direction of bilateral relations.”
On Thursday, Beijing had strongly criticised the Pentagon report, calling it one “that distorts China’s defence policies”, and implied that Washington should refrain from interfering in China’s diplomatic engagements with other countries.
According to the US Defence Department report, China continues to prepare for a possible military confrontation with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), even as both sides pursue diplomatic engagement to stabilise ties.
The report urged caution despite India and China announcing an agreement in October 2024 to disengage from remaining standoff points along the LAC, stating that a reduction in tensions does not reflect a change in China’s long-term military posture.
China has continued to maintain its position, while New Delhi recently raised concerns over an Indian citizen born in Arunachal Pradesh being detained and allegedly harassed at Shanghai airport over the mention of her place of birth.
Beijing has also been wary of Washington pledging record arms sales to Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory, and of the US National Security Strategy (NSS) document reflecting an intent to work “to align the actions of our allies and partners with our joint interest in preventing domination by any single competitor nation.”
The document leaves little doubt about which country it considers the “single competitor nation”.
Friday’s People’s Daily article is being seen as reflecting a pivot by Beijing at a time when the White House appears to be softening its stance towards India.
“Any attempt to simplify China-US relations into a narrative of ‘competition’ or even ‘confrontation’ is a deviation from and misreading of reality. Such perspectives are not only unhelpful in solving problems but also create more severe new issues for both countries and the world,” the article stated.
“China-US relations not only influence the global strategic landscape but also affect the pulse of the world economy, impacting the livelihoods of people in various countries,” it added, in what appeared to be a response to the NSS document, particularly its framing of competition in the Indo-Pacific region.
“When China and the US work together, the world feels reassured; if they confront each other, the world is left unnerved,” the article said, in an apparent attempt to ease tensions.
–IANS
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