🧵We applaud Biden's decision to speak by phone with Chinese president Xi Jinping, but wonder why it took him 7 months since they last spoke. The world's been shaken by many disasters since then-couldn't he find time sooner to speak w/ the head of the world's 2nd largest economy?
Evidently Biden is unhappy that Chinese officials been subjecting US diplomats to propaganda barrages. Well, no surprise there: If you're not willing to speak with the man in charge, you can hardly be surprised when they're dismissive to your emissaries.
Also, while it's too bad Chinese officials have been hectoring US diplomats about our unfair treatment of China, you can hardly blame them when those same diplomats go around the world complaining about China's authoritarianism, human rights abuses, unfair trade practices, etc.
As Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told Biden's emissary John Kerry last month, you can't make an "oasis" out of climate change cooperation and diss China on every other front.
Why not take a different approach to China? Leading with climate change cooperation and toning down the recriminations - then maybe both sides can breathe easier. And the whole world can have more hope of addressing the #ClimateCrisis
More details and background on this story via the South China Morning Post by @teddyng and @CatherineWong01:
scmp.com/news/china/dip…
scmp.com/news/china/dip…
And find lots more info and analysis about US/China relations on our website: saneuschinapolicy.org
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