The writer, a senior fellow at the Yale Law School and former chair of Morgan Stanley Asia, is author of ‘Accidental Conflict: America, China, and the Clash of False Narratives’
US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen’s recent trip to Beijing was the economic policymaker’s carbon copy of Antony Blinken’s earlier diplomatic mission — plenty of talk but no meaningful conflict resolution. The same can be expected from climate envoy John Kerry’s trip to China. Both sides are aiming low, more intent on re-establishing connections than rethinking a deeply troubled US-China relationship.
The problem is not with the messengers. The diplomats are just following orders, consistent with the leader-to-leader commitment Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping made at the November 2022 G20 meeting in Bali to put “a floor” on the relationship. Yes, a floor is an improvement from a downward spiral, but it runs the very real risk of setting the stage for a new phase of conflict escalation.