Managed to preserve temporary easing of relations: Vasily Kashin on Xi Jinping’s visit to US

Vasily Kashin, director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS) at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE), commented to Alpha News on China-US relations on the sidelines of the international scientific and practical conference “Russia and the new multipolarity: from idea to reality,” held for the 20th anniversary of CCEIS.

Speaking about Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s recent visit to the US, the expert noted that the sides failed to reach serious, long-term agreements.

“We managed to preserve a temporary easing of relations, but we did not manage to agree on long-term rules. The trade truce, which was the central element of the easing, was extended only for a short period, two months, and its further fate is not entirely clear to us. Talks are continuing. So the visit was very strong in terms of symbolism and protocol, as the first state visit since 2015, with many statements, but no significant agreements were concluded. All that is clear is the understanding to continue economic negotiations and to maintain a degree of restraint on military and political issues, without changing their approaches overall. Some specific decisions were made on trade, but they were of a limited nature,” Kashin believes.