As world leaders gathered in South America this week, their diplomatic engagement with President Xi Jinping of China reflected a delicate balance of maintaining stability while preparing for significant changes in US leadership, according to The New York Times.
At the Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, which concluded on Tuesday, leaders from multiple continents sought to strengthen ties with Beijing even as President Joe Biden prepared to hand power to President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged a confrontational approach on trade with China. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for a "consistent, durable" relationship with China, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia emphasized a "patient, calibrated and deliberate" approach.
The summit highlighted complex diplomatic dynamics as nations navigate relations with China amid the upcoming US transition, The New York Times reported. Xi, during discussions in Peru, expressed to Biden his desire for a "stable, healthy, and sustainable" relationship with the US. However, beneath the diplomatic courtesies lay numerous challenging issues, including human rights concerns, Taiwan's status, technological competition, cybersecurity threats, support for Russia, and trade disputes.
The tension became apparent when Chinese representatives blocked camera views and removed journalists after Starmer raised concerns about human rights and Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong businessman and pro-democracy advocate.
Recent history has shown challenging moments in China's international relations, with US-China communications largely ceasing for over a year following Xi's reaction to Biden's decision regarding a Chinese surveillance balloon. Despite these challenges, nations continue seeking diplomatic progress. After meeting Xi on Monday, Albanese shared on social media: "Dialogue is critical, and we've made encouraging progress. Trade is flowing more freely. And that brings benefits to both countries, and to people and businesses on both sides."
Chinese policymakers are exploring diplomatic opportunities ahead of Trump's return. Wang Wen, dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told The New York Times that while China's foreign policy won't fundamentally change under Trump, it "will force Chinese foreign policy to become more flexible toward a range of countries." Beijing has worked to reduce isolation by improving relations with European and Asia-Pacific nations, including recent agreements with India on Himalayan border arrangements.
Yet Xi faces limitations in leveraging diplomatic opportunities. Richard McGregor, senior fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute, warned about potential impacts on US alliances: "The US is a much more open economy than China's, but you wouldn't really know it if you just listened to the two leaders because Trump always talks about protectionism and Xi always talks about free trade."
For Biden, Tuesday's conclusion of the G20 summit marked his final appearance on the global stage as an advocate for international alliances. For his counterparts, it initiated a new phase in global diplomacy potentially more centered on China than ever before. While the outcome remains uncertain, John Delury, a historian of modern China, suggested to The New York Times that "China is bound to disappoint its biggest cheerleaders at this moment."
