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China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang praises US in string of tweets

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A series of tweets from China’s new foreign minister seem to signal a possible softening in China-U.S. relations. Qin Gang, a trusted aide to leader Xi Jinping and outgoing Chinese ambassador to the U.S., offered enthusiastic praise of the U.S. on Tuesday.

“Going forward, I will continue to care about and support the growth of China-US relations, encourage dialogue, mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples, work for mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation between our two countries,” Qin tweeted.

The sentiment comes at a time when relations between the two countries are relatively strained, from Taiwan to trade. Talks between the two powerhouses frosted over following former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August, an island Beijing hopes to eventually control. Beijing responded to Pelosi’s visit by conducting military drills near and around the island.

Repeated U.S. statements of support for Taiwan have contributed to “the biggest tinderbox” in bilateral relations, Qin told NPR. President Joe Biden has said the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s defense if faced with an “unprecedented attack” by China.

As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken readies for his visit to China in January, he said he has already connected with Qin on “maintaining open lines of communication” they experienced during Qin’s ambassadorship.

As for trade, while the U.S. imports more from China than any other country, relations there have continued to stiffen; from tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump and sustained by Biden; to the CHIPS and Science Act and Inflation Reduction Act, aimed at lessening reliance on Chinese goods, particularly semiconductors.

At least in public statements, it appears China is seeking a more stable relationship with the U.S. this year. To close out the more tumultuous 2022, Qin wrote in an op-ed, “China-U.S. relations should not be a zero-sum game where one side out-competes the other or thrives at the expense of the other.”

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SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: A SERIES OF TWEETS SIGNALING A SOFTENING IN CHINA-US RELATIONS?

AS QIN GANG, THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO THE U-S – STEPS INTO HIS NEW PROMOTION AS CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER – HE VOWED TO “CONTINUE TO CARE ABOUT AND SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF CHINA-US RELATIONS, ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND AFFINITY BETWEEN THE TWO PEOPLES…”

THE SENTIMENT, PART OF A STRING OF TWEETS OFFERING ENTHUSIASTIC PRAISE OF THE U-S IN THE NEW YEAR.

AND IT COMES AT A TIME WHEN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES ARE RELATIVELY STRAINED…FROM TAIWAN TO TRADE.

TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO POWERHOUSES FROSTED OVER FOLLOWING THEN-HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI’S VISIT TO TAIWAN IN AUGUST, AN ISLAND BEIJING HOPES TO EVENTUALLY CONTROL. REPEATED U-S STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT FOR TAIWAN HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO “THE BIGGEST TINDERBOX” IN BILATERAL RELATIONS, ACCORDING TO QIN.

AS U-S SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN READIES FOR HIS VISIT TO CHINA LATER THIS MONTH, HE’S ALREADY CONNECTED WITH QIN ON “MAINTAINING OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION.”

AND AS FOR TRADE, WHILE THE U-S IMPORTS MORE FROM CHINA THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, RELATIONS THERE HAVE CONTINUED TO STIFFEN. FROM TARIFFS IMPOSED BY THEN-PRESIDENT TRUMP AND SUSTAINED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN, TO THE CHIPS AND SCIENCE ACT AND INFLATION REDUCTION ACT, AIMED AT LESSENING RELIANCE ON CHINESE GOODS.

AT LEAST IN PUBLIC STATEMENTS, IT APPEARS CHINA IS SEEKING A MORE STABLE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U-S THIS YEAR. TO CLOSE OUT THE MORE TUMULTUOUS 2022, QIN WROTE IN AN ESSAY, “CHINA-U.S. RELATIONS SHOULD NOT BE A ZERO-SUM GAME WHERE ONE SIDE OUT-COMPETES THE OTHER OR THRIVES AT THE EXPENSE OF THE OTHER.”

I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO IN NEW YORK IT’S JUST BUSINESS.