Possibility of US-China Trade Ministers Meeting at the End of This Month... Will Communication Resume?

Catherine Tai, United States Trade Representative (USTR), and Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce of China, are reported to be meeting at the end of this month. Attention is focused on whether this will mend the deepened conflicts caused by the 'spy balloon' incident, the Taiwan Strait issue, and advanced semiconductor export controls to China, and whether communication between the U.S. and China will officially resume.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 10th (local time), Bloomberg News cited sources reporting that a U.S.-China trade minister meeting is highly likely to take place during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers' meeting held in Detroit on the 25th and 26th.

High-level U.S.-China meetings have been suspended since the Chinese spy balloon incident in February. Secretary of State Tony Blinken indefinitely postponed his planned visit to China following the spy balloon incident. This incident escalated tensions between the two countries, and there were criticisms within the U.S. about possible 'overreaction.' Since then, the U.S. has attempted several times to resume high-level meetings, including efforts to reschedule Blinken's visit to China. However, China refused, and the meetings did not materialize.

Recently, signs of change have emerged. On the 8th, Qin Gang, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, met with Nicholas Burns, U.S. Ambassador to China, raising speculation that both countries are preparing to resume communication. If the U.S.-China trade ministers' meeting takes place at the end of this month, it will be the highest-level meeting between the two countries since the spy balloon incident.

Daniel Russell, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said, "Until now, Burns has been refused high-level meetings," and evaluated, "The meeting between Qin and Burns signals the end of Washington's time in the penalty box."

Meanwhile, while the U.S. continues to pressure China daily with advanced semiconductor export controls and other measures, it is also sending conciliatory gestures to prevent U.S.-China relations from deteriorating into a crisis. Earlier, on the 20th of last month, Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, stated, "The U.S. will not hesitate to protect its core interests," but also said, "However, we will not decouple from the Chinese economy. A complete separation of the U.S. and Chinese economies would be a disaster for both countries."

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