Leaders' phone call sets course of Sino-US relationship

The latest phone conversation between the heads of state of China and the United States has set the direction and goals for the development of China-US relations in the near future, and Washington should follow through on its fresh commitments, analysts said.

President Xi Jinping held a phone call on Thursday evening with US President Donald Trump, which covered topics such as the economy, trade, the Taiwan question and official exchanges.

During the call, Xi said that both sides should make good on the agreement reached at the China-US economic and trade talks in Geneva, Switzerland, last month, and he said the US must handle the Taiwan question with prudence.

Also, Xi welcomed Trump to visit China again, for which the US president expressed heartfelt appreciation.

After the conversation, Trump said in a social media post that, "The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both countries."

Among positive responses from outside the two nations, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the two leaders' dialogue "is very important, given the links — the economic and geopolitical relations between these two important countries on the global stage".

Wu Xinbo, dean of Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, said the phone conversation was "on the whole a positive and constructive dialogue at a critical moment".

"Both sides need to work together to create the conditions and atmosphere and enable the leaders' expected face-to-face meeting, which will be a major event in bilateral ties," Wu said, adding that on future two-way interactions, both sides need to steadily realize the consensus reached at the Geneva talks.

"Also, preparations should be made as soon as possible for the next round of China-US economic and trade talks to drive substantial progress in two-way economic and trade negotiations," he said.

During the call, Xi told Trump that the Chinese always honor and deliver what has been promised, and he urged the US to remove the negative measures taken against China.

Following the May talks in Geneva, Washington rolled out a series of measures targeting China, including restrictions on chip exports to China and the plan to revoke visas for Chinese students studying in the US.

Analysts noted that recent China-US interactions have primarily focused on economic and trade areas, and some official dialogues in other important areas have yet to resume, which is not helpful for the stable growth of bilateral ties.

Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Department of American Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said the recent moves taken by the US against China "have apparently failed to achieve what Washington wanted".

"The US side must have clearly known that pressuring China using tools such as tariffs will only backfire," she said.

China is as always sincere in solving the problems between the two nations, and the country will watch how Washington honors its fresh commitments, she added.

This week, senior Chinese officials have also called on Washington through various channels to repair the relations and deepen mutual understanding.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with David Perdue, the newly appointed US ambassador to China, and said that the US should work with China in the same direction and create the necessary conditions for returning US-China relations to the right track.

On Thursday, Vice-President Han Zheng met with the US delegation attending the China-US Track Two High-Level Dialogue in Beijing, and expressed the hope that the high-level dialogue would pool wisdom of people with great insights from both countries to enhance the US' knowledge and understanding of China.

Diao Daming, a professor of US studies at Renmin University of China's School of International Relations, said the recent two-way communication at various levels, including Thursday's phone talks, "has already proven that the two countries can choose the right path — dialogue and consultation — and move forward in the right direction".

He said there may still be space for further China-US cultural and educational exchanges, and "people should keep a close watch on whether and how Washington will follow through".

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn