Change in strategy

The US and China could be moving towards more normal relations, ending the almost complete freezing of ties witnessed during the Trump era, during which Washington adopted an extremely hostile approach to China. US President Joe Biden has said he is keen on better ties with China, provided the country stop violations of human rights, notably against Uighur Muslims. In turn, China has asked for non-intervention in its internal affairs and also said it would like to see the US remove tariffs on Chinese goods and work towards a settlement of other issues so that there can be a more positive relationship. For the world, the biggest benefits could come in a normalisation of ties between the two countries, which are set to become the two biggest powerhouses in the world, notably in the field of technology.

The US could benefit from China in terms of relations with North Korea, and also other issues, with China already having played a mediatory role in some global disputes in which Washington has been involved. Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi has said China wants better relations with Washington and a return to normal ties between the two countries. However, he did say that for this purpose, the US will need to make changes in the manner in which it deals with imports from China and on other issues, including hostile attitudes towards the country. During the Trump era, Washington had become known for constantly attempting to smear China and accuse it of bringing the coronavirus to the world and engaging in other means to boost its massive tech industry.

We would like to see a friendlier set of relations between the two countries. This is vital for the world in many ways. Both the US and China possess nuclear weapons and, as the world's two most powerful countries, need to set the example of using them responsibly and solving matters through dialogue rather than through a war of words or more frighteningly a war of any other kind. It is time that the Trump-era hostility towards China ended. The growing tie in relations between India and the US had disturbed China, which could see it affecting the region. It is now time to return the world to a more even platform, to a more mature and fair relationship between Beijing and Washington and to a situation that can benefit the people of the world no matter where they live.