BEIJING — Less than a week into U.S. President Joe Biden’s new administration, Chinese President Xi Jinping struck a confident tone Monday when he called for world leaders to cooperate more with China.
Xi’s keynote speech at the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos Agenda event comes as the world waits for a new phase in U.S.-China relations under Biden, following former President Donald Trump’s single-handed approach.
Tensions between China and the U.S. escalated under Trump, who used tariffs and sanctions in an attempt to address long-standing complaints about unfair Chinese business practices. What started as a dispute on trade soon spilled over into technology, finance, human rights and the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
China’s growth has continued regardless. Despite friction with the U.S. and challenges from the coronavirus pandemic, China still managed to report GDP growth of 2.3% last year, sign the world’s largest trade deal with its Asian neighbors and wrap up negotiations with the EU on a major investment agreement.
“Beijing has become a more important link globally,” said Isaac Stone Fish, founder of Strategy Risks, a New York-based firm which examines businesses’ exposure to Beijing.
“The United States is comparatively less strong vis-a-vis China than a few years ago, and China is likely to continue to close that gap,” Fish said. The “U.S. needs to decide how it’s going to deal with a more assertive and aggressive Chinese Communist Party.”
Different practices at home
Back in 2017, just days before Trump took office and began to disrupt conventional U.S. relations with other countries, Xi upheld China as a supporter of greater economic integration globally in an address to the World Economic Forum. It was the first time a Chinese president attended the event.
A year after that speech, Xi abolished limits on terms for his leadership role. He led celebrations in October 2019 for the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China.
The Communist Party commemorates its 100th anniversary this year, and essentially all official communication in Chinese within the country emphasize the party’s leadership.
