Editor's note: There is a notable contradiction in the U.S. policy towards China. While emphasizing the need for dialogue, the U.S. engages in provocative actions, including naval assertions in the Taiwan Straits, official visits to Taiwan that defy the one-China principle, and the imposition of economic sanctions on Chinese firms and officials. As U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken prepares for a crucial visit to China, CGTN's Sr. International Editor Abhishek G. Bhaya spoke with Joseph Gerson, President, Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security, and Co-chair, Committee for a SANE U.S.-China Policy, to understand the intricacies of this contradictory stance and explore the prospects of improving bilateral relations. The views expressed in the video are his own and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Edited excerpts:

CGTN: How do you view and explain this huge gap between the political rhetoric that comes out of the U.S. and the actions on the ground? Will Blinken's China visit be able to clear the air on this aspect?

Gerson: I don't know if he'll be able to fully clear the air. You know, I'm reminded I read the memoir of former Soviet Ambassador to the United States [Anatoly] Dobrynin. And he talks about the tensions in the Cold War, but also the efforts by senior diplomats and government leaders to contain them. So yes, I think, we've written about the contradiction between the U.S.'s articulation of its commitment to the one-China policy, and its clear actions here to bring Taiwan fully into the U.S. sphere.

At the same time, I think, one positive outcome that we could see from the Blinken visit will be an agreement to reducing the military actions in relation to Taiwan. So, it's in the interest of all sides and maybe an agreement can be reached that we want to actually contain this confrontation.

CGTN: What, in your opinion, are the biggest challenges to improving China-U.S. relations? What advice would you like to give to Antony Blinken as he prepares for his visit to China?

Gerson: The deepest problem is the confrontation between the world's two largest economic and military powers, each with a long and powerful history. China has risen. The so-called rules of the game were dictated by the United States after World War II; China had no input into that. Now that China has risen, of course, they want to modify those rules.

So, I think what's most important here is for both sides to remember the concept of the Thucydides' Trap - the inevitable tensions between rising and declining powers. And, as the former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said, we do need to establish guardrails to keep this competition from escalating ultimately to nuclear war which would end all life here.

One thing I would point to, which I think would be a very helpful way forward, is that both of our peoples and peoples of the world face the existential threat of climate emergency. It is very real. It's going to have massive impacts on this and future generations. And that certainly will impact political stability on both sides. One important way to begin building cooperation and mutual understanding, and to really protect the human species would be for U.S.-Chinese cooperation to begin confronting the climate emergency and put policies in place that may be a little bit difficult to be accepted by our domestic political systems and forces, but they're absolutely necessary in terms of human survival.

CGTN: You just attended a peace conference in Vienna. What are the implications on global peace, so to speak, and also for the global order if China-U.S. relations continue to deteriorate amid the looming risk of a new Cold War and also its impact on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war?

Gerson: First, let me say that many of us appreciate the Chinese 12-point [peace] proposals. We don't expect that they will be the final framework for [Russia-Ukraine] peace negotiations, but they're very helpful in helping to frame them. And it's interesting that the U.S. position is moderated at this point after initially condemning them. You have some recognition that they can contribute to peace.

As I said before I've learned a lot from reading Dobrynin's memoirs. The importance of summits between leaders, the preparatory work between leaders, mutual understandings that were built. And one can hope that the process now, with not only Blinken's visit but [U.S. National Security Advisor Jake] Sullivan's meeting in Vienna, that this can be a time when we put some foundations under the relationships and can restore some degree of civility in U.S.-Chinese relations.

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