As US signals thaw with India, China calls for cooperation with Washington

WASHINGTON DC: A day after Beijing accused Washington of misrepresenting its defence policy in a recent Pentagon report, an article published by China’s state-controlled news portal stressed bilateral ties “in the economic and trade sphere” and their global impact.

“International relations have never been smooth sailing. It requires wisdom and responsibility to stabilize the course and steer the overall situation amid turbulent waves,” People’s Daily Online observed on Friday.

“Looking back at history, the lessons are clear: For the sake of our shared responsibility and future, China and the US should and can cooperate,” it added later.

The reference was made in the context of this year marking the “80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War”, when “China and the US fought side by side, making significant contributions to defending peace and justice and saving human civilization during its darkest moment”, the article noted.

US-China trade tensions escalated earlier this year when President Donald Trump’s administration reimposed and increased tariffs on imports from Beijing, citing concerns such as trade imbalances, illicit fentanyl exports and national security issues linked to technology transfers.

China responded with reciprocal tariffs targeting key US exports, including agricultural goods, industrial machinery and rare earth minerals. Amid global trade disruptions and economic uncertainty, diplomatic efforts led to multiple rounds of negotiations. President Trump’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in South Korea last month did ease tensions to some extent, though without yielding a formal comprehensive trade agreement.

Referring to the meeting, the column pointed out how “head-of-state diplomacy between China and the US has played a crucial role as an anchor, calibrating the direction of bilateral relations.”

On Thursday, Beijing had strongly criticized the Pentagon report, calling it one “that distorts China’s defence policies”, and implied that Washington should refrain from interfering in China’s diplomatic engagements with other countries.

According to the US Defence Department report, China continues to prepare for a possible military confrontation with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), even as both sides pursue diplomatic engagement to stabilize ties. (IANS)

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