Focus on Arts and Ecology

September 1, 2023 

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo left Beijing on a hopeful note, telling reporters she was optimistic about the achievements of her four-day trip to China.

Raimondo was the fourth senior American official to visit the country in three months. The biggest achievement was a commitment from both sides to communicate more.

They agreed to annual meetings between Raimondo and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, and their deputies will meet twice a year. They have also created a mechanism to exchange information on export controls. A China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit will be held early next year.

In a meeting with Premier Li Qiang, Raimondo pledged that the United States has no intention to contain China and is not seeking a decoupling.

Li told her that politicizing trade issues and ‘overstretching the concept of security’ undermines bilateral relations and can have a disastrous impact on the global economy.

CGTN’s Huang Jiyuan explains in Reality Check that Raimondo’s visit will help build trust between Beijing and Washington.

CGTN current affairs commentator Imran Khalid writes that rekindling the China-U.S. trade relationship should be the top priority for both countries.

Professor Victor Gao tells CGTN’s daily political talkshow, The Heat, that high-level visits like Raimondo’s will move the relationship forward.

More headlines

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Beijing and met with Vice President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Cleverly is the highest-ranking British official to make the trip to Beijing in five years.

CGTN’s Dong Xue reports that Cleverly hopes to “bridge the chasm of misunderstanding between London and Beijing.”

CGTN current affairs commentator Kulsum Begum writes that Cleverly’s visit could be a first step toward warming ties.

(Sources: China Report)