Is there something significant happening between China and the United States? Has the U.S. proactively shown goodwill toward us? On July 18, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao from Singapore, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of the Treasury stated that the U.S. has terminated the national emergency order related to Hong Kong, and Lin Dingguo and eight others have been formally removed from sanctions. Clearly, although the U.S. continues to retain other relevant laws such as the Hong Kong Autonomy Act and has not fully lifted all sanctions on Hong Kong,

figures including Xia Baolong, Carrie Lam, and current Chief Executive John Lee remain on the U.S. sanctions list. Nevertheless, this relaxation still sends a distinct signal. Given the U.S.'s consistent stance, it would be highly unlikely for the U.S. to unilaterally lift previously imposed sanctions without any significant developments. The fact that this move has occurred undoubtedly indicates a friendly gesture in the direction of mutual accommodation between China and the U.S., prompting speculation that something major might be unfolding between the two countries.

In fact, two recent developments concerning Sino-U.S. diplomatic engagement have emerged. First, media reports indicate that our Foreign Ministry Deputy Minister Ma Zhaoxu is scheduled to visit the United States soon. Second, the U.S. has confirmed that Rubio will attend the upcoming ASEAN series of foreign ministers’ meetings, while Wang Yi, our Foreign Minister, is also expected to participate—raising the possibility of a high-level ministerial meeting between China and the U.S.

Therefore, from a certain perspective, this move by the U.S. may be seen as preliminary warming up for high-level diplomatic engagement between China and the U.S. Of course, substantial differences persist between China and the U.S. on issues including Taiwan, the South China Sea, high-tech fields, and tariffs. The U.S. expects greater cooperation from China economically, and both sides will certainly need to engage in dialogue. While we won’t overinterpret the U.S.’s goodwill, this action remains a positive signal.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871017323917577/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author