California Governor Gavin Newsom’s week-long visit to China—the first by a U.S. governor in over four years—has sparked fresh hopes for stabilizing turbulent Beijing-Washington ties. But with U.S. political divisions deepening, can diplomacy abroad heal rifts at home?
Newsom called U.S.-China cooperation 'not a zero-sum game,' praising the nations’ intertwined economies ( 1/3 of global GDP!) and shared climate goals. His trip included stops in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Beijing, aiming to 'bridge gaps' amid anti-China rhetoric in Congress.
The visit follows a wave of high-level exchanges: U.S. officials like Blinken, Yellen, and Raimondo have all traveled to China this year, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi heads to Washington this week. Yet, as Newsom noted, the 'sharp divisions' in U.S. politics threaten progress.
'No bilateral relationship is more important,' Newsom stressed. With tensions over tech, trade, and Taiwan simmering, the world’s eyes are on this diplomatic tightrope walk. Can dialogue outpace distrust?
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A divided U.S. is the biggest risk to Beijing-Washington ties
cgtn.com