“Hopeful but not optimistic about future of ties with Beijing,” says US envoy Nicholas Burns to China

The US envoy to China, Nicholas Burns, on December 15 said relations between the two countries are not necessarily improving, but he was ‘hopeful’ of better ties, The Hill reported.

“I don’t feel optimistic about the future of US-China relations because I feel that we need to see how things develop,” Nicholas Burns said at an event hosted by the Brookings Institution.

“We had a good and productive meeting in California. Can we now sustain that engagement? Can we meet our commitments to each other?” he added.

“I’ve lived the past. The roller-coaster past where communications is cut off and then put back on again,” he said, adding, “So, wouldn’t say I’m optimistic. I’m careful about this. Maybe realistic. Hopeful, if you will. But hopeful is different than optimistic.”

“So far, the Chinese have met their commitments on fentanyl, and I think will in terms of our military-to-military context but let’s see that happen over time,” Nicholas Burns said on December 15.

The diplomat said he hoped the two countries could create a relationship where they could compete, adding, however, that it must be done in a responsible way that brings down the possibility of conflict.

His comments come a month after President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a friendly summit in San Francisco. The forum was largely viewed as a positive encounter despite the president calling Xi a “dictator” immediately after it, The Hill reported. Part of the agreement between the two leaders was establishing military contacts that were severed last year.

It was a high-priority task for Joe Biden, something he views as essential to avoid potentially disastrous, accidental conflicts, The Hill reported earlier.

After meeting the Chinese President, Joe Biden informed that Xi Jinping said he would keep the lines of communication open between the two leaders.

They also agreed to restart cooperation on counter-narcotics as the US pushes China to crack down on the export of chemicals used in fentanyl, The Hill reported.

(with inputs from ANI)