Why should shared interest in middle class development in China and the United States be a key driving force in the bilateral relationship today?

After moves by France, Germany and the Netherlands, the introduction of the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific should come as no surprised. Two questions emerge: Is this new version of the strategy a follow-up to the United States or an independent strategic consideration? And how should China respond?

In Washington, relations between China and the United States are often seen in terms of ideology — a game in which both seek to export their political systems and topple the values of the other. But the more immediate question involves industrial policies.

An abundance of examples show that countries in Southeast Asia want to develop beneficial relationships with both the U.S. and China. Thus, the U.S. hedge against China in the region is doomed to fail, despite the best efforts of visiting American officials.

There is lots of room for China-U.S. cooperation, but it won’t happen automatically. A concerted effort by both is needed. The Americans should recognize that China is a trustworthy partner, not a rival, when it comes to Afghan affairs. China, too, will need to change its thinking.

Maintaining strategic security and its stature as a major global power are the country’s priorities. While its economy is relatively weak, Russia’s military power, its experience and its influence in global affairs means that it will continue to be an important player in shaping the international landscape.

(The following is the keynote speech by Chinese ambassador to the United States Mr. Qin Gang at the welcome event hosted by the National Committee on US-China R

China’s new Ambassador Qin Gang has arrived in Washington, DC, tasked with chipping away at the frosty relationship between America and his home country.

Washington’s current Afghanistan crisis and domestic political instability present an ideal opportunity for China to accelerate its global and regional ‘grand strategy.’ Is the United States prepared to slow its advance?

Conventional logic would say that new leadership should open a broad window to reset relationships between nations. Yet as the first 6 months of the Biden presidency shows, the story is not always so cut-and-dry.