Biden administration needs to put money where mouth is to get floor under relations

This is an editorial from China Daily.

In what is being widely perceived to be the first tangible signs that progress is being made in stabilizing relations, Beijing and Washington are reportedly working on opening new lines of communication to tackle contentious issues.

According to a Financial Times report, two working groups are being formed to focus on Asia-Pacific issues and maritime issues, and a third group is apparently being considered that will focus on broader areas. That could indeed be a welcome sign.

Speaking to CNN on the sidelines of the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on July 23, after his highly anticipated trip to China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the two sides were trying to strengthen their "lines of communication" to avoid conflict.

"We are working to put some stability into the relationship, to put a floor under the relationship, to make sure that the competition that we're in doesn't veer into conflict", which, as he correctly pointed out, "would not be in our interest, their interest, or anyone else's." His visit was followed by similar trips by other high-level Biden administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US climate envoy John Kerry who also stressed the need for communication.

On its part, Beijing has made no secret of the fact that it considers sincere and candid communication to be crucial for the two sides to manage their differences. Speaking with Blinken in Jakarta, Indonesia, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers' Meeting in July, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi once again stressed the importance of communication.

Wang said that consultations on the guiding principles of China-US relations needed to be advanced, the communication channels between the two sides needed to be expanded and the communication between the two sides needed to be more effective to resolutely stop "gray rhinos", properly handle "black swans" and thoroughly remove the "tigers blocking the way" for the improvement of relations.

If the two sides are indeed stepping up communication, it is to be hoped that the dialogues will be conducted with sincerity, as what has become a defining feature of the new normal of Sino-US relations is that the Joe Biden administration says it's good to talk, while reneging on what it says.

That the remits of the initial two groups concern the areas with the most powder-keg potential will hopefully enable Beijing to convince the Biden administration that it needs to stop provocatively playing with matches in these explosive areas.

The US is good at harming other nations' interests even as it offers a hand to shake. If the working groups are indeed to help "put a floor under the relationship", rather than being merely pantomimes paying lip service to that task, they in turn should be given a solid foundation on which to work. That can be provided by the Biden administration honoring the commitments President Biden has made to China on various occasions.