Ahead of G20 Summit, US-China Reconciliation... China Says "We Know It's a Strategy, But..."

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[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Sunmi Park] On the 26th, ahead of the G20 special video summit to discuss COVID-19 response measures, U.S. President Donald Trump extended an olive branch by saying he would no longer use the term 'Chinese virus.' China, while guessing President Trump's intentions, welcomed the change for the sake of cooperation at the G20 meeting.

On the 26th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, citing sources, that the U.S. and China agreed to narrow their differences over COVID-19 ahead of the G20 summit.

That evening, the leaders of the 20 countries, including the U.S. and China, will discuss COVID-19 response measures via video conference. A joint declaration among the leaders outlining international cooperation measures against COVID-19 is expected to be issued. However, the discord between the U.S. and China over the origin and responsibility for COVID-19 has been seen as an obstacle to international cooperation.

President Trump publicly promised not to use the term 'Chinese virus,' which could provoke China, ahead of the G20 meeting.

In an interview with Fox News on the 24th, he said, "Everyone knows this (COVID-19) came from China. But I decided not to make a big deal out of it anymore," adding, "I have done a lot, and I think people understand that." Although President Trump had referred to COVID-19 as the 'Chinese virus,' as tensions between the U.S. and China escalated over this, he appears to have decided to refrain from using the term and avoid further escalation. At a White House briefing on the 23rd, President Trump also refrained from using the term 'Chinese virus' and emphasized the importance of protecting Asian Americans in the U.S. and worldwide.

China has expressed a welcoming stance toward the U.S. change.

State-run media Global Times and Huanqiu Shibao jointly editorialized that "President Trump has changed his tone by announcing he will stop using the term 'Chinese virus,' and this change carries positive significance," adding, "We welcome the U.S. side's change that could help ease tensions between the two countries. We hope the U.S. will make more efforts to reduce tensions between the two nations."

However, they expressed skepticism about the sincerity of President Trump's change of position.

The newspapers stated, "We are concerned that President Trump's adjustment may be a temporary tactic," explaining that the term 'Chinese virus' sparked criticism within the U.S. for fueling hatred against Asian Americans, and that public opinion likely pressured President Trump ahead of his re-election. They also noted, "The U.S. urgently needs medical supplies such as masks and ventilators, and China is a major supplier of these medical goods," suggesting that this fact may have pressured President Trump.

The newspapers concluded, "We hope President Trump's promise will be an opportunity to adjust U.S. China policy at least during the COVID-19 outbreak," emphasizing that "It is the duty of the two powerful countries, the U.S. and China, to cooperate in COVID-19 response efforts such as vaccine development and aid to affected countries for the international community."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.