Guancha.com reported that Trump, who is about to take office as the US president, held a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on December 16. He said that it is very important for the United States and China to work together to solve all global problems.
Trump's inauguration date is January 20 next year, which is only one month away. Trump is also preparing for his inauguration ceremony. Against this background, Trump's remarks about wanting to ease relations with China will help create a positive atmosphere for his inauguration.
In recent days, China and the United States have achieved a number of cooperative dialogue results. From December 15 to 16, the 7th China-US Financial Working Group Meeting was held in Nanjing. The meeting was chaired by vice-finance ministers of the two countries and played a positive role in the financial stability of the two countries and the world.
On December 16, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian announced that (the China-U.S. Technology Cooperation Agreement) has been successfully renewed. Representatives from both countries signed the relevant protocol in Beijing on December 13, deciding to extend the agreement for five years from August 27 of this year.
(The China-U.S. Technology Cooperation Agreement) is the basic agreement for economic and technological exchanges between the two countries after the establishment of diplomatic relations. The completion of its renewal brings certainty to economic and technological cooperation between the two countries in the coming years, indicating that there are bottom lines in the collisions between both sides amidst the gathering clouds of a trade war. It can be said that the U.S. actions of 'decoupling' from China exhibit a characteristic of having higher rhetoric than actual actions.
The U.S. fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act is currently under review, and some lawmakers have inserted clauses regarding the 'security threat' of Chinese garlic, prohibiting the U.S. military from purchasing Chinese garlic. This action carries a symbolic significance of promoting 'decoupling', but the actual economic impact is weak, and areas involving greater economic interests, such as cross-border e-commerce, have not appeared on the U.S. restriction list.
In addition, the trade scale between China and the U.S. from January to November 2024 has increased compared to 2023. The trade scale is 4.44 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.2% compared to 2023.
If we also consider the indirect trade of Chinese manufacturing in the US market, which is widely distributed in ASEAN countries, Mexico, and elsewhere, the trade relations between the two countries have not diminished; the economic coexistence of both sides is already a reality. This reality of economic coexistence is driving both countries to engage in political dialogue and risk management.
Both China and the United States have shown an attitude of strengthening dialogue through economic and trade ties. At the 2024 annual gala dinner of the China-U.S. Trade National Committee, leaders from China and the United States both sent congratulatory letters to the event. In the congratulatory letter, the Chinese side expressed its expectations for long-term peaceful coexistence between the two countries and indicated China's commitment to an open attitude and stance.
Against this backdrop, Trump, who will succeed Biden as President of the United States, has made statements suggesting that China and the U.S. can work together to solve various global issues. While there are positive factors for cooperation and coexistence between the two countries, it is also necessary to be vigilant about the U.S. strategic layout regarding China's paralyzing measures.
The current predicament of Russia, under NATO's eastward expansion, serves as an example that China should learn from. In addition, the U.S.-China 'G2' concept is not a creation of Trump. During the 2008 financial crisis, China's strong performance raised concerns within the U.S. government, which then proposed the G2 idea, but China did not respond. The reason is clear: cooperation with non-Western countries such as those in Asia, Africa, and Latin America is the foundation for China to resist Western forces. Pursuing the empty name of 'G2' while adhering to the U.S.-dominated international order is self-defeating.
This characteristic has not changed even now. The 'Belt and Road' initiative and the BRICS organization are deep areas for China to confront the U.S.-led Western order. The advocacy for a multipolar world order is fundamental to China's construction of a global united front. China and the U.S. can engage in substantial cooperation on global affairs based on actual needs, but it should not be a trap filled with malice.
Finally, representing the common interests of the majority of countries from the united front of developing countries is fundamental to building China's global governance system. We should welcome pragmatic cooperation between China and the U.S., but the premise must be 'pragmatic'.