U.S. and Chinese Foreign Ministers Meet to Manage Strategic Differences

Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, began a long-anticipated visit to Washington on Thursday, November 4. The United States and China are seeking to manage the deep strategic differences between the two countries to pave the way for a meeting between their presidents, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. The Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East has added a new dynamic to the imbalanced relationship between the two economic superpowers, and the U.S. hopes to leverage Beijing's influence over the Islamic Republic to help ensure that this conflict does not expand into a wider region. The U.S., the European Union, and Japan have designated the Hamas militia, which is supported by the Islamic Republic, as a terrorist organization. Although both sides have discussed seeking areas for cooperation, and Xi Jinping spoke on Wednesday about China's willingness to cooperate on global challenges, experts do not expect immediate progress in negotiations. The Biden administration's priority regarding Beijing is to prevent intense economic competition and to moderate disputes in trade, Taiwan, and the South China Sea. Wang Yi, who stated on Tuesday, November 2, at the UN Security Council that China would cooperate to prevent the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, will be a guest of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday. Political analysts believe that both sides have common interests in preventing the expansion of the Middle East war, and China, as a major oil buyer from Iran, could have significant influence over this country. However, the main question is whether they are willing to use this influence or not. John Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, says, 'The Chinese are certainly interested in preventing a direct confrontation between the U.S. and Iran because such a confrontation would raise oil prices.' However, he adds, '... but they do not feel a strong need or ability to quickly resolve the issue.' In contrast, Washington emphasizes the importance of China's ability to influence Iran. Antony Blinken, during his trip to the Middle East last week, spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart and asked him to use Beijing's influence to ensure that the Israel-Hamas conflict does not escalate. China has called for restraint from both parties involved in the Middle East war and for a ceasefire. Zhang Jun, China's ambassador to the United Nations, said on Tuesday, 'China is tirelessly working to promote a cessation of hostilities and restore peace. We have maintained close communication with the relevant parties.' Wang Yi's trip to Washington follows visits by several senior American officials, including Blinken, to Beijing in recent months. He is expected to meet with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday and possibly have a brief meeting with Joe Biden. His discussions with U.S. officials are expected to focus on preparing for the meeting between Biden and Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which will take place from November 20 to 26 in San Francisco. Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that whether Washington and Beijing can find the 'right' way to come to terms and manage their differences is very important for the world. U.S. and Chinese officials held a virtual meeting on macroeconomic developments on Monday, November 1. U.S. officials described the meeting as 'productive and fundamental,' while Chinese officials called it 'deep, candid, and constructive.' U.S. officials have also stated that the issues of Taiwan and the South and East China Seas, along with 'destabilizing and dangerous actions' by China, are also on the agenda for negotiations, and re-establishing military relations with China is a top priority for the U.S. to prevent unintended conflict.