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Washington Post

Washington Post

US Politics

US Politics

Biden says he ‘managed’ frosty China relations. Critics say management was the problem.

Washington Post
Summary
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80% Informative

China is Biden ’s proudest portfolio: China is what he wants to be remembered for.

Biden inherited a deeply strained U.S.-China relationship in 2020 , with tensions high over the Trump -era trade war and accusations that Beijing was responsible for the covid-19 pandemic via a lab leak.

U.S.-China relations were at a nadir when Sullivan and Wang met in Vienna in May 2023 for the first of several meetings.

Over the next two years , their engagement became a vital lifeline during key flare-ups in the relationship.

The back channel helped pave the way for the November 2023 Woodside , California , summit, which marked a reset in relations.

Economists are divided on whether Biden ’s choice to retain most of the Trump -era tariffs was a success.

The Biden administration pushed through a wave of last-minute policies in its final days .

Beijing is on the offensive, signaling its readiness to confront the incoming administration head-on with retaliatory trade measures.