How to Look at the New Round of "Great Power Diplomacy", the Initiation and Depth of the China Russia Strategic Security Consultation | The End of the China US Senior Officials Meeting | Malta | Consultations

Overnight, two heavyweight news stirred up waves of great power diplomacy.

One is that high-ranking officials from China and the United States concluded their meeting in Malta on the 17th, and the other is that China and Russia will hold strategic security consultations starting from the 18th.

The dynamics of top powers have always been related to world governance. What message does this interaction between China, the United States, and China Russia convey?

Adequate and effective strategic communication

On the evening of the 17th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it had dropped a "shock bomb" on Sino US relations——

From September 16th to 17th, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office, held multiple rounds of meetings with Assistant to the US President for National Security Affairs, Sullivan, in Malta. Both sides engaged in frank, substantive, and constructive strategic communication around stabilizing and improving Sino US relations.

This should be the second meeting between the two sides since the May Vienna meeting this year, and it is also an important part of the intensive high-level interaction between China and the United States for some time. Previously, the US Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, President's climate envoy, and Secretary of Commerce have successively visited China.

A series of high-level exchanges aim to implement the consensus of the Bali meeting between the two heads of state, and promote the stabilization and return of China US relations to the right track.

Why did the Malta meeting, which has just entered the high-level dialogue sequence between China and the United States, arise?

Wu Xinbo, Dean of the International Studies Institute at Fudan University, analyzed that on the one hand, in a sense, the Malta meeting is a remedial measure taken for the failure of the highest leaders of China and the United States to meet during the recent G20 summit.

It should be noted that unlike previous visits by senior US officials to China, this meeting is a strategic communication between China and the United States. Its importance lies in better understanding each other's strategic and policy intentions, which helps both sides to seek consensus on the development of bilateral relations, including how to effectively manage differences.

For this meeting, the official announcement from China and the United States afterwards contains rich information and thought-provoking details.

In terms of atmosphere, both sides used wording that was "honest, substantive, and constructive". The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also mentioned details such as "multiple rounds of meetings" and "long-term communication".

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the two sides also discussed the situation in the Asia Pacific region, international and regional issues such as Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula.

In terms of achievements, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides have agreed to continue implementing the important consensus reached at the Bali meeting between the two heads of state, maintaining high-level exchanges between the two sides, and holding consultations on China US Asia Pacific Affairs, Ocean Affairs, and Foreign Policy. Both sides discussed measures to further support and facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries.

"This is a comprehensive and effective strategic dialogue and communication, with both sides exchanging views on their respective concerns," Wu Xinbo said.

From the schedule, like the May Vienna meeting, this Malta meeting is also a two-day and multi round meeting. Such intensive talks indicate that the two sides have discussed a lot of topics and lasted for a long time.

From the perspective of discussion topics, China has raised two major concerns.

Secondly, it indicates that China is very concerned and seriously dissatisfied with the US policy towards Taiwan, so it is necessary to constantly remind and strike the US side.

Another concern is the US policy towards China.

During the meeting, Wang Yi emphasized that China's development has a strong endogenous driving force, follows an inevitable historical logic, and cannot be stopped. The legitimate right of the Chinese people to development cannot be deprived.

"This sentence is highly targeted, indicating China's firm opposition to the United States' strategic policy of containing and suppressing China under the guise of competition." Wu Xinbo said that the United States believes that China's rise will depend on the United States, and Wang Yi's statement emphasizes that China's development and rise are driven by internal factors and are an internal historical process, not external factors. Even if the United States tries every means to suppress, contain, and obstruct it, it is only in vain.

"This reflects the concerns of the United States and its recent increasing attention to the Korean Peninsula, including the visit of North Korean leader Kim Jong un to Russia and other developments on the peninsula."

From the results of the talks, the two sides have reached three consensus points this time: to maintain high-level exchanges between the two sides; Holding consultations on Asia Pacific affairs, ocean affairs, and foreign policy between China and the United States; Explore further measures to support and facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries.

Maintaining high-level exchanges between the two sides is an important consensus, indicating that high-level exchanges between China and the United States will continue in the coming months and are expected to be elevated.

Secondly, the three consultations refer to the work consultations that will be carried out at the deputy ministerial and department level in the three major fields.

Wu Xinbo pointed out that the reason for delineating the three areas of Asia Pacific, maritime and foreign affairs is to implement the principled consensus reached by both sides during Antony Blinken's previous visit to China, and the second reason is that these three areas focus many of the current concerns of both sides.

The third consensus indicates that the number of flights between China and the United States is expected to continue to increase, and visa policies may also be further relaxed.

"Overall, this meeting has played a positive and constructive role in stabilizing and improving China US relations, allowing both sides to seek some consensus and guide the next steps of relevant departments based on these consensus, so as to move towards each other," said Wu Xinbo.

It is also worth mentioning that the location of the meeting between high-ranking officials from China and the United States in Malta is not without considerations. Similar meetings have been held in Europe before, such as Vienna and Luxembourg, which have hosted the event.

Wu Xinbo interprets the considerations behind location selection from three perspectives.

Geographically speaking, the Europe where Malta is located is the midpoint between China and the United States, making it convenient for both sides to arrange their itinerary.

In terms of impact, meeting in a third place is relatively low-key, which is not easy to attract too much attention from the outside world and the media, and can also reduce domestic political pressure, which is conducive to dialogue between the two sides in a more relaxed atmosphere.

From a historical perspective, there are precedents for choosing a relatively neutral third party for talks that both sides can accept. For example, during the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union generally held summit meetings in third countries, and an important meeting in 1989 was held in Malta.

Transitioning Russia to pave the way for the summit

Following the announcement of the meeting between high-ranking officials from China and the United States in Malta on the evening of the 17th, another official announcement in the early morning of the 18th also attracted attention——

At the invitation of Patrushchev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Wang Yi will visit Russia from September 18th to 21st to hold the 18th round of strategic security consultations between China and Russia.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director Wang Yi's visit to Russia this time is a routine activity within the framework of the China Russia Strategic Security Consultation Mechanism, aimed at implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, promoting the development of bilateral relations, and conducting in-depth communication on important issues related to the strategic security interests of both countries.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova previously stated that Wang Yi will hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. The foreign ministers of the two countries will discuss strengthening cooperation on the international stage, joint work in international organizations and forums, and the crisis in Ukraine.

Ding Xiaoxing, Director of the Eurasian Institute of the Chinese Academy of Modern International Relations, pointed out that Wang Yi's trip to Russia has two main objectives. Firstly, to hold strategic security consultations between China and Russia.

The Strategic Security Consultation was established based on the initiative of the heads of state of China and Russia in 2005, and is a traditional consultation mechanism between China and Russia. In principle, it is held once a year, and both parties generally consult, coordinate, and compare major strategic and security issues. This consultation mechanism has reached its 18th round so far, fully reflecting the high-level mutual trust between China and Russia.

Ding Xiaoxing expects that this round of consultations will involve a wide range of topics.

Firstly, there is the relationship between China and Russia. In the face of global changes and new situations, both China and Russia have a need to further "back-to-back", deepen strategic mutual trust, develop comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era, and promote practical cooperation.

Secondly, there are international and regional hot topics. Including the Ukraine crisis and the Asia Pacific situation. Especially with the recent developments in the situation in Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula, it is expected that both sides will communicate and exchange views on the relevant situation. China is also expected to share information on the China US Malta meeting with Russia.

Once again, the United Nations General Assembly has entered a high-level meeting week this week, and both sides are expected to discuss topics such as the development agenda, climate change, and Security Council reform.

Second, China will hold the third "the Belt and Road" International Cooperation Summit Forum next month. The Russian side has stated that Russian President Putin will visit China and attend the summit forum at that time. Wang Yi's visit is expected to discuss Putin's visit to China, laying the groundwork for the meeting between the two heads of state.

China's choice is crucial

On one hand, it is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world today, and on the other hand, it is a model of great power relations in the new era. In the current era of intensified power competition and lack of trust and cooperation, due to the seamless itinerary arrangement of Chinese high-ranking officials, the world's attention cannot help but turn to the rare major power interaction between China, the United States, and China and Russia during the same period.

Wu Xinbo believes that after the epidemic, China's diplomacy has been fully carried out offline, and major country diplomacy has also been carried out in multiple directions and levels. Dialogue and interaction in all three directions, including China and the United States, China and Russia, and China Europe, are unfolding, rather than leaning towards one side. Multi level includes leadership level, strategic level, and work level.

Ding Xiaoxing pointed out that currently, the international situation is constantly changing and full of uncertainty. China, the United States, and Russia are the most important powers in the world today. The stability of their bilateral relationship is crucial to world peace and stability. However, the current "Great Triangle" is in an unbalanced state, with China Russia relations at their best in history, China US relations being pushed towards strategic competition, and US Russia relations falling to historical lows.

"The world is at a critical crossroads, whether it is confrontation or cooperation, whether it is heading towards a new Cold War, or unity and cooperation to address global challenges, China's choice is crucial," Ding Xiaoxing said.

From the Malta meeting to stabilizing China US relations, to the visit to Russia to discuss strategic security issues and deepen China Russia relations, as well as the emphasis on China Europe cooperation during the meeting between Wang Yi and the Maltese Foreign Minister, all indicate that China insists on choosing the path of peaceful development, choosing openness and dialogue, and carrying out major country diplomacy with a responsible attitude. It plays a constructive role in maintaining the basic stability of major country relations, injecting more certainty into the turbulent world, and avoiding the world from falling into camp confrontation and even the new Cold War crisis.