The Trajectory of US-China Relations Post-Geneva Talks

The United States and China reached a 90-day truce in the trade war when their representatives met in Geneva in early May. Both sides agreed to temporarily roll back tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers. President Trump announced that a “total reset” in US-China relations had been achieved. Beyond the hyperbole, the two sides agreed to establish a mechanism on economics and trade and launch negotiations to address trade imbalances and other problems. Whether a deal is reached, what it might look like, and what it might include, remains to be seen. The future trajectory of US-China relations, overall, is still unclear. This episode highlights a Chinese perspective on the US-China bilateral relationship, including on the recent trade talks and the factors that will influence US-China relations going forward. Sun Chenghao, a fellow and head of the U.S.-Europe program at Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), and council member of the Chinese Association of American Studies joins host Bonnie Glaser for this episode.    Timestamps [00:00] Start [01:39] What does Trump want from China?  [04:29] What view does Dr. Sun hold? [05:00] Assessing the US-China Geneva Talks [09:21] Feasibility of a Broad US-China Trade Deal [13:23] Implications of Trump’s “Unification” Comment [16:46] Importance of the Strategic Channel [20:47] Declining America, Rising China [23:27] Shift in US Policy Toward Alliances [27:49] The Future of US-China Relations