Who aims to improve China-US relations by appointing Qin Gang

Calling Qin Gang a “wolf warrior”, he addressed Xi Jinping’s definition. But the former ambassador to Washington who will lead Chinese diplomacy in recent months has tried to build a relationship with the top US administration. Channels on topics like climate change and pandemics are open, which is critical now that Covid cases in China risk fueling a new global wave.

Qin Gang Recently appointed Chinese Foreign Minister, Hu I was Wolf warrior“wolf warrior” in the definition of Chinese diplomacy Xi Jinping, or a representative of a China that predicted great strides towards the future of a great hegemon, and who often sent scathing messages toward those who stood in the way of this journey. But in recent months as ambassador to Washington, he has also managed to build relationships with the American fabric. In particular with the economic community, thanks to the practical method with which it is customary to deal with problems.

Unlike other envoys to Washington, Chen Some more moderate posts China in some subjects. He said that Beijing would have tried to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine had it known, and downplayed the risks of war with Taiwan.

A native of Tianjin, he studied at Beijing University of International Relations, a school with close ties to both the Foreign Ministry and China’s top spy agency. After a stint at United Press International, he began his career in the ministry holding posts in Beijing and London. These elements reinforce the position of those who believe that his appointment as foreign minister means that Xi is trying to return to a low-level diplomatic strategy.

The task is difficult. The People’s Republic is undoubtedly the most credible (perhaps even the only) competitor to the rules-based international order in which Western democracies identify themselves. On the other hand, if a country wants to present itself as a global leader, it must present a positive image of itself. Beijing is facing a giant image crisis, between aggressive trade policies and, above all, the management of Covid-19.

In 2019-2020, the Chinese government hid an epidemic from the rest of the world, the severity of which was well known. Subsequent policy Zero covid It has sparked popular uprisings with its strict rules to contain the outbreak. Today, abandoning this line to avoid riots is about to unleash a new global pandemic wave, with the potential to favor new variants.

Therefore, for the purposes of this article, The tweet that was launched By the current Chinese Foreign Minister when he was still the US Ambassador. Speaking about the pandemic, Chen said, “And if our countries work together to find solutions, such as more effective vaccines?” At that time, Chen was busy dodging accusations Donald Trump Which he called the Chinese Covid-19 virus.

By now it could be said that Chen Gang had become an important point of reference in the difficult Sino-American dialogue, and in his final weeks in his ambassadorial role he met both Janet Yellen and Anthony Blinken, whom he spoke to on the phone. a few hours ago. Certainly, on some issues like global pandemics and climate change, the channels are open.