U.S. and China to resume military communications

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping convened in San Francisco on Thursday, agreeing on the complete resumption of bilateral military communications after a 15-month hiatus since August 2022, triggered by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Additionally, the two leaders reached an agreement to crack down on the fentanyl supply chain. President Biden characterized the meeting as a “constructive and productive conversation,” yet notable disparities emerged, particularly on key issues pertaining to Taiwan and export bans.

While some critics may dismiss the recent G2 summit as lackluster, its significance lies in the fact that Washington and Beijing, longstanding rivals in economics, technology, and military affairs, have finally committed to resuming talks aimed at stabilizing bilateral relations. This development gains added importance against the backdrop of the current global landscape, where wars in Europe and the Middle East have unsettled the world order, raising concerns about the potential for inadvertent conflict between the U.S. and China amid their fiercely competitive relationship. In the face of these tensions, the two nations have found common ground in a commitment to minimize conflicts and explore opportunities for cooperation. The timing of this decision is crucial, given the upcoming presidential election for President Biden and the economic challenges confronting President Xi in China.

However, expectations for an era of cooperation between the U.S. and China may be unrealistic. In the global political arena, the competition between the world’s two superpowers with distinct political systems and ideologies is inevitable, which is why core issues remain unresolved. President Xi said, “Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed,” suggesting China’s aspirations to lead in the G2-led world order. The U.S. and China also diverged on the issue of the Korean Peninsula, with Xi placing the responsibility for North Korea’s nuclear threat squarely on the U.S., emphasizing the need for all stakeholders to consider North Korea’s concerns.

While both nations agreed to avoid conflict, acknowledging the inevitability of competition, the persistence of potential conflicts and confrontations makes it uncertain how the U.S.-China relationship may evolve. If these superpowers can manage competition and establish rules for cooperation, South Korea could be able to enhance its diplomatic standing. The collaboration between Washington and Beijing might create a window of opportunity to address North Korea’s nuclear threat, impede illicit trade between North Korea and Russia, and prevent China’s forced repatriation of North Korean defectors. Consequently, the Korean government’s focus, which has been centered on strengthening alliances against North Korea’s nuclear threat, should now shift towards cultivating more flexible diplomatic strategies in its relationship with China.