The US needs a new China strategy: Researchers

With the China-US connections across major fields still stable in the near term, one possibility of US' strategic approach to China is a design of "neo-engagement" with China, researchers said in a comment piece published by The Diplomat on Friday.

The authors argued that contrary to the rhetoric embraced by some in the US, engagement between Beijing and Washington has not stopped because of the changing political atmosphere. Exchanges across trade, education, and finance between both sides have been strengthened over the past few years, and they're not likely to be fully halted by pure political will.

The comment added that engagements are not limited to economics, however. Chinese students still make up the largest share of international students studying in the United States, in spite of new hurdles put in their way in recent years. Moreover, bilateral engagements have extended to new areas of interest, such as the response to climate change.

The comment said this "neo-engagement" approach would not rule out any possibilities that Beijing and Washington would produce major disagreements or confrontations, but the core of the approach provides a scenario where the indispensable engagements and cooperation for both sides remain.