A change to softer rhetoric by the United States seems aimed at placating its domestic business community, but the ultimate objective of containing China hasn’t changed. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there’s a big difference. We shall wait and see.

After more than twelve hours of direct and candid discussions between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and senior Chinese officials (including President Xi Jinping), the volatile U.S.-China relationship is slightly more stable . But while the visit will catalyze more regularized exchanges and high-level visits in the coming weeks and months, the relationship remains deeply strained over a wide variety of issues and deep differences in views—which are not going to fundamentally change.

Antony Blinken’s visit to China will be a pivotal juncture in U.S.-China relations. The opportunity for both sides to start acting in good faith toward one another is precious and could change the trajectory of the near future.

Building a new type of major country relationship with the United States has been the consistent goal. Yet this cannot be achieved through the efforts of China alone. It requires both sides to pull in the same direction. Where relations go next depends on the strategic choices of both countries.

The window of opportunity for rapprochement between China and the U.S. is likely small, given the approach of America’s polarizing presidential election season. To put it bluntly, if the Biden administration fails to make corrections 2023 may become another lost year.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China represents one of the steps taken to actualize the principles discussed during the meeting between President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, in Bali. The visit was initially planned for February this year, but following the "spy balloon" incident, the Biden team decided to postpone it. This decision was influenced by domestic political pressures and an attempt to leverage these pressures against China.

Some of you have recently joined us in celebrating the 100th birthday of Dr. Henry Kissinger. The centenarian has reminded us of how important peaceful coexistence between China and the United States is to humanity’s future. The history of the China-U.S. relationship has told us that both countries stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.

James F. Downes, Mathew Wong and Man Hoo So argue that the EU-China relationship has evolved considerably over recent years into a growing global rivalry in 2023. They argue that whilst the EU has become more interventionist towards China in 2023, there exists large divisions within the core EU institutions alongside EU member states towards relations with China.

The crisis in Sudan is being used by China as a platform to gloat about its efficiency in evacuating citizens from the embattled nation, adding to the narrative that China hopes to create where it can become the world’s leading superpower.

Adjustments in European and American strategies may offer hope for a return to normal relations with China. The EU and U.S. should dump their political prejudices against China, take care of the common security of the world, try to remove risks and truly cooperate with China.