Source: CGTN
Speaking on CGTN, Carnegie’s Douglas H. Paal evaluated the prospects of future U.S.-China cooperation now that President Donald Trump has announced that he will honor the “One China” policy.
Paal welcomed the recent call between Trump and President Xi Jinping as a significant step toward stabilizing the U.S.-China after an initial period of uncertainty. He noted that if the previous Trump administration policy of openly questioning the One China policy were to continue, it would be impossible for Xi to have a constructive relationship with Trump.
The United States has now pursued a more pragmatic approach, said Paal, which matches the Chinese posture of flexibility and adaptability that Xi has adopted in the wake of Trump’s surprise election victory last November.
Paal praised the diplomacy of China’s top two “America watchers”—Yang Jiechi and Cui Tiankai—calling their efforts highly effective.
Moving forward, Paal predicted that future cooperation will depend on Trump’s perception of whether China is willing to significantly adjust trade and investment patterns to create jobs in the United States.