In this time of war, the quiet U.S.-China dialogue is a significant factor for peace. From a situation where they were virtually not talking to each other, the two global powers appear to have reached a point where a presidential summit may be on the cards at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November. It may be too soon to use words like “détente”, but what we could perhaps hope for is a tactical stabilisation of the ties between two of the world’s leading powers. At the immediate level, Washington’s ability to talk to China could promote restraint in West Asia. China has undoubted influence on Iran, which virtually controls the Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Hezbollah’s entry into the war in Gaza could really complicate the situation in the region.
Last week, Wang Yi visited the U.S., the first by a Chinese foreign minister since the pandemic, and met with President Joe Biden and senior U.S. officials. He is reported to have told the U.S. strategic community that “the road to San Francisco “will not be a smooth one.” Mr. Wang’s visit came in the wake of visits by the U.S. Secretaries of State, Treasury, and Commerce to China in the last few months. Till May, the Chinese military was refusing to take calls from the Pentagon. With the sacking of Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu, the issue has become moot.
