Page 46 - 2022 White Paper on the Business Environment in China
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2 White Paper on the Business Environment in China
all goes hand in hand with a more conciliatory from the deeper conflict if the deep diagnosis is
tone, coming from both Beijing and Washington, that China is challenging the US. The two countries
than the two countries experienced over the last need to find a way to deal with these deeper
four years. Joe Biden, a Democrat, was sworn in challenges, and to come to some understanding
as the 46th US president after a tumultuous four about whether they can coexist in a way that is
years of Republican Donald Trump's presidency. not threatening to each other, and can convince
Biden was tasked with leading the country as it each other that each country is serious about that
faced what his advisers have described as four important prospect (Zhao, Cooperation Can).
compounding crises: the pandemic, the economic
downturn, climate change and racial inequality. Since the establishment of the diplomatic
The president followed his promise of immediate ties between China and the US in 1972, both
action with a flurry of executive orders signed on the countries have constantly deepened the ties
his first day in office. In his first few hours at the on all fronts. Though there were always some
White House, Biden recalled an exchange he had differences between them, they have steadily
with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a trip to been the largest trading and strategic partners
China a decade ago. "When I was with Xi Jinping— and continued reaping dividends from the
and I was on the Tibetan plateau with him—and good relations till Donald Trump became the
he asked me in a private dinner, he and I, and US President in 2016. During the Trump era,
we each had an interpreter, he said, 'Can you the US administration has unilaterally started
define America for me?'" Biden, who was then decoupling with China. Against such a backdrop,
vice-president in Barack Obama's administration, President Joe Biden has assumed the power
said he responded to Xi, who was also then vice- and concentrated on licking the wounds of the
president, with one word: "possibilities". Biden's bilateral ties. In doing so, Biden has first held long
relationship with Xi has become the stuff of telephonic talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi
near legend, with the two traveling more than Jinping and reached consensus to get the ties
16,000 kilometers together, and they sat for back on the right track. And both sides have
hours of private dinners in China and the US declared to have a high-level strategic dialogue,
when they were counterparts. Biden-Xi meeting giving rise to a sense of relief to many. A much-
with an agenda focusing on the potential areas sought-after China-US high-level strategic
of cooperation could have been constructive, dialogue concluded at Anchorage in Alaska in
but the honeymoon of a new president did not early March 2021. Yang Jiechi, a member of the
last long enough. Before long, the midterm Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee,
election cycle will set in, and some China hawks and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and US
who supported Trump-era policies raised their Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National
voices and had a less constructive impact on the Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had a long
Biden administration's ability to reset US-China strategic communication in the dialogue. They
ties. There undoubtedly is a place for the use of had discussions to implement the consensus
tariffs with regard to certain products and certain reached by the two presidents in their telephonic
industries, and there's a separate conversation to conversations in February. The Chinese and the
have around export controls and the protection Americans announced that both countries want
of intellectual property, but using broad-based mutual cooperation instead of confrontation.
tariffs to prosecute all of America's grievances But the March dialogue ended up in announcing
against China has been unsuccessful. The US no tangible and concrete outcomes. China
and China have a stake in each other's economic termed the dialogue as candid, constructive,
success, and they are the two locomotives that and helpful for reconciliation between the two
will lead to global growth. For purposes of global major economies of the world. It has said that
growth, the United States needs China and China both sides have had candid and constructive
needs the United States, and that's a pretty good exchanges on their domestic and foreign policies
starting point to try to rebuild trust and rebuild a and bilateral relations. They have at least
successful economic relationship. It would be very reached unofficial conclusion that the dialogue
hard to sustain and insulate areas of cooperation is helpful and conducive to enhancing mutual
46
all goes hand in hand with a more conciliatory from the deeper conflict if the deep diagnosis is
tone, coming from both Beijing and Washington, that China is challenging the US. The two countries
than the two countries experienced over the last need to find a way to deal with these deeper
four years. Joe Biden, a Democrat, was sworn in challenges, and to come to some understanding
as the 46th US president after a tumultuous four about whether they can coexist in a way that is
years of Republican Donald Trump's presidency. not threatening to each other, and can convince
Biden was tasked with leading the country as it each other that each country is serious about that
faced what his advisers have described as four important prospect (Zhao, Cooperation Can).
compounding crises: the pandemic, the economic
downturn, climate change and racial inequality. Since the establishment of the diplomatic
The president followed his promise of immediate ties between China and the US in 1972, both
action with a flurry of executive orders signed on the countries have constantly deepened the ties
his first day in office. In his first few hours at the on all fronts. Though there were always some
White House, Biden recalled an exchange he had differences between them, they have steadily
with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a trip to been the largest trading and strategic partners
China a decade ago. "When I was with Xi Jinping— and continued reaping dividends from the
and I was on the Tibetan plateau with him—and good relations till Donald Trump became the
he asked me in a private dinner, he and I, and US President in 2016. During the Trump era,
we each had an interpreter, he said, 'Can you the US administration has unilaterally started
define America for me?'" Biden, who was then decoupling with China. Against such a backdrop,
vice-president in Barack Obama's administration, President Joe Biden has assumed the power
said he responded to Xi, who was also then vice- and concentrated on licking the wounds of the
president, with one word: "possibilities". Biden's bilateral ties. In doing so, Biden has first held long
relationship with Xi has become the stuff of telephonic talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi
near legend, with the two traveling more than Jinping and reached consensus to get the ties
16,000 kilometers together, and they sat for back on the right track. And both sides have
hours of private dinners in China and the US declared to have a high-level strategic dialogue,
when they were counterparts. Biden-Xi meeting giving rise to a sense of relief to many. A much-
with an agenda focusing on the potential areas sought-after China-US high-level strategic
of cooperation could have been constructive, dialogue concluded at Anchorage in Alaska in
but the honeymoon of a new president did not early March 2021. Yang Jiechi, a member of the
last long enough. Before long, the midterm Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee,
election cycle will set in, and some China hawks and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and US
who supported Trump-era policies raised their Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National
voices and had a less constructive impact on the Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had a long
Biden administration's ability to reset US-China strategic communication in the dialogue. They
ties. There undoubtedly is a place for the use of had discussions to implement the consensus
tariffs with regard to certain products and certain reached by the two presidents in their telephonic
industries, and there's a separate conversation to conversations in February. The Chinese and the
have around export controls and the protection Americans announced that both countries want
of intellectual property, but using broad-based mutual cooperation instead of confrontation.
tariffs to prosecute all of America's grievances But the March dialogue ended up in announcing
against China has been unsuccessful. The US no tangible and concrete outcomes. China
and China have a stake in each other's economic termed the dialogue as candid, constructive,
success, and they are the two locomotives that and helpful for reconciliation between the two
will lead to global growth. For purposes of global major economies of the world. It has said that
growth, the United States needs China and China both sides have had candid and constructive
needs the United States, and that's a pretty good exchanges on their domestic and foreign policies
starting point to try to rebuild trust and rebuild a and bilateral relations. They have at least
successful economic relationship. It would be very reached unofficial conclusion that the dialogue
hard to sustain and insulate areas of cooperation is helpful and conducive to enhancing mutual
46
