China welcomes Blinken, but anticipates real goodwill actions

Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday embarked on his second China visit in less than a year. Blinken's trip, as part of efforts to implement the common understandings reached by the two heads of state at their meeting in San Francisco last year, is undeniably good news for the Beijing-Washington relationship.

Since the San Francisco summit, China and the U.S. have witnessed a series of engagements at different levels across multiple fields. Blinken's visit, for instance, follows closely on the heels of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's China trip earlier in April. Senior officials in foreign affairs, economy, climate change, agriculture, law enforcement and other sectors have stayed in contact via visits, phone calls, and working group meetings. Military-to-military dialogues were resumed as well.

Dialogue is vital. Intensive interactions between Beijing and Washington are essential for the two sides to establish the right perceptions and thus avoid misjudgment or miscalculations against the other. But regrettably, a slew of negative factors in China-U.S. ties indicate that Washington seems to be seeking communication just for the sake of communication. Saying one thing but doing the opposite is becoming a routine in Washington's China policy.

Just take a look at what the U.S., while sending high-level officials to China as a gesture of goodwill for talks, is doing to the country:

Despite its repeated pledge of not supporting "Taiwan independence,"the U.S. Senate – hours before Blinken landed in China – passed the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental bill, directing $8 billion to efforts in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region to counter China. In disregard of China's calls for fair competition, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that requires TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the app's U.S. operations in 270 days or face a ban.

Shouting "respect," the Biden administration has intensified efforts to curtail China's economic, technological and trade growth. Accusing China of dumping its excessive capacity, Washington announced the launch of a Section 301 investigation into China's maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors this month. During his China stay, Blinken again raised concerns about China's "overcapacity," "unfair" trade practices and "non-market economic practices."

The popularity of Chinese products in the global market is a result of the country's emphasis on innovation. And the growth in China's exports of the New Three – electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products – is a natural outcome of market demand and international division of labor.

"China's advantages presented by complete industry chains and innovative ecosystems are now widely recognized and highly regarded by multinationals," said Milind Pant, CEO of Amway Corp. "China has done considerable work in energy and transportation innovation," said Zafar Uddin Mahmood, policy adviser to the Secretary General of the Boao Forum for Asia.

But the Biden administration deliberately turns a deaf ear to these rational voices. Under the guise of "fair" competition, Washington's ultimate purpose is to kneecap China's growth and place the U.S. in a more advantageous position in the global market. For the Biden administration, export controls, tariffs and sanctions – the next steps of its anti-China probe – are effective tools to kick rivals out from the global supply chain.

True, China and the U.S. face competition, especially in economics. But any competition must have clear boundaries. While Beijing is open to dialogue and has the will and sincerity to manage disagreements, it does not mean the Chinese side accepts Washington's economic coercion and bullying.

The Biden administration is clear about the significance of improving relations with the world's second largest economy. But in the meantime, American politicians' anxiety about China's growth has passed the point of rationality. In this context, Washington, while making good pledges, has rolled out a slew of antagonistic policies against Beijing.

Blinken's paying a second visit to China within less than a year is encouraging for China-U.S. ties. But just as Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his Friday's meeting with Blinken, promises must be kept and actions must be resolute. To establish the right perceptions, which are vital in dispelling anxieties about China's growth, and to walk the talk is what matters for constructive Beijing-Washington relations.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)