Tense Start to U.S.-China Talks in Alaska May Signal What Lies Ahead

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While nobody expected the first U.S.-China meeting after Donald Trump’s presidency to be a lovefest, the unusually vitriolic start to talks in Alaska still managed to surprise.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reeled off a list of sensitive issues in his opening statement yesterday and called China a threat to “the rules-based order that maintains global stability.” Communist Party Politburo member Yang Jiechi laced into the U.S. in reply, calling it the “champion” of cyber attacks and citing the Black Lives Matter protests in telling Washington to “do better on human rights.”

When Blinken replied to those comments before journalists left the Anchorage ballroom, the Chinese side called for the cameras to return to take some more shots at the Americans. Chinese stocks slumped after the inital talks, which continue today.

Both sides have domestic incentives to exude strength. The Biden administration wants to prove it won’t go easy on Beijing, while China’s diplomats must show President Xi Jinping they are on an equal footing with the U.S.

Now the question is whether they can find a way to cooperate. While it’s nearly impossible for the U.S. to meet Chinese demands to lift Trump’s tariffs, sanctions or restrictions on Big Tech companies, both sides want to do more on climate change.

To that end, the biggest sign of success would be an agreement for President Joe Biden to meet with Xi around Earth Day next month. If that doesn’t happen, the fireworks in Alaska may just be a taste of what to expect over the next four years.

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