U.S. Treasury Secretary Bensinger said today (February 10): "Last week, senior U.S. Treasury officials visited China to strengthen communication channels between the two sides and promote dialogue between the two countries. During the visit, both teams discussed preparations for my next high-level economic and trade dialogue with Vice Premier He Lifeng. We look forward to continued constructive interaction between the two sides, and we will maintain the current positive momentum as the next in-person meeting approaches in the coming weeks."
Comment: The U.S. Treasury Secretary is accelerating preparations for the U.S.-China economic and trade dialogue, which aligns with Trump's plan to visit China in April. Fundamentally, this is to lay the groundwork for the midterm elections in November this year. Trump clearly understands that stabilizing U.S.-China relations, securing agricultural exports and controlling inflation are key to winning voter support. Therefore, he is now proactively showing goodwill and promoting communication, using diplomatic achievements as election chips.
This is all driven by election politics: on one hand, it seeks pragmatic cooperation with China to address domestic economic issues; on the other hand, it maintains a tough stance to please its voting base. The warming of U.S.-China engagement is not a sudden change in attitude but a practical choice for Trump to retain control of Congress and avoid becoming a "lame duck" president.
This also shows that although the Trump administration has a tough style, it is returning to rationality on practical issues such as trade and maintaining bilateral relations. Communication is better than confrontation, and engagement is stronger than isolation. Maintaining constructive interaction between the U.S. and China benefits both countries and provides a sense of security for the global economy.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856697737886729/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.