The victory of Joe Biden in the US presidential election may provide a respite to China from President Donald Trump’s declaration of the “Cold War” and offer a limited chance to reset the turbulent ties even as high-intensity rivalry is expected to continue, Chinese observers said on Sunday.
Trump’s four years in power is the worst phase in China-US relations as the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), headed by President Xi Jinping, struggled to deal with what Chinese officials said is the most elusive and unpredictable American leader ever since the former US president Richard Nixon’s historic visit to Beijing in 1972, establishing ties for the first time with the Communist nation.
Trump pushed aggressively on all aspects of the US-China ties, including with his relentless trade war, challenging Chinese military hold on the disputed South China Sea, its constant threats to Taiwan and branding coronavirus as ‘China virus’ after it emerged from Wuhan in December last year.
The Biden tenure could usher in a “buffering period” for already-tense China-US relations, and offer an opportunity for breakthrough in resuming high-level communication and rebuilding mutual strategic trust between the two countries, a report in the state-run Global Times said.