Analyst Li Cheng warns against fourth US-China communique
Veteran China watcher says symbolic documents pointless without implementation.
Get AI news that actually matters
One email a day. Zero fluff. Join 10,000+ professionals.
Veteran China watcher Li Cheng advises against signing a fourth joint communique between the US and China, despite recent signs of stabilizing ties. In an interview with Guancha.cn, the University of Hong Kong professor noted that Washington has failed to uphold its previous commitments, making a new symbolic document pointless.
Li Cheng praised the recent summit between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump for producing a 'dramatic change' in the relationship, from viewing each other as enemies to positioning each other as friends. He commended Trump's transactional approach and personal rapport with Xi, calling the new framing of 'constructive strategic stability' pragmatic. However, he cautioned that pushing for a fourth communique could provoke anti-China forces ahead of the midterm elections, and instead urged creating practical mechanisms for cooperation.
- Li Cheng argues the existing three communiques are not being implemented by Washington, making a fourth one pointless.
- He describes the recent Xi-Trump summit as producing a 'dramatic change' from enmity to friendship.
- Warns that a new symbolic document could backfire by energizing anti-China forces before US midterm elections.
Why It Matters
Diplomatic symbolism fails without trust; practical cooperation matters more for US-China stability.