Beijing’s top US envoy on Monday presented China as a global leader in globalisation and multilateralism, taking a jibe at Washington for “closing doors” as the US under President Donald Trump imposes hefty unilateral tariffs on countries around the world and tightens its visa policies.
Characterising China and the US as “two main builders of the post [second world war] international order”, and celebrating the economic relationship that grew once Washington reestablished official relations with Beijing, Xie Feng, China’s ambassador also said that the two global powers must “act with greater responsibility”.
Urging the US to work together to benefit people on both sides and towards world peace, Feng warned Washington to exercise “extra prudence” on the Taiwan question and “stop spreading the fallacy that Taiwan’s status is undetermined”.
“While some countries are closing doors, China has taken the initiative to open wide,”, Xie said at an embassy event celebrating the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, adding that Beijing has stayed “firmly committed to expanding unilateral and institutional opening up”.
In distinguishing China’s approach from that of the US toward trade with Global South countries, Xie highlighted that “China also offered zero-tariff treatment, or 100 per cent tariff refunds, to all least-developed countries maintaining diplomatic relations with it.”
“In the face of rising protectionism, a widening wealth gap and sluggish global economic growth, China has upheld openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation,” he emphasised.
And as the Trump administration undertakes a radical reform of the US’ visa policy, Xie announced that China was easing the way for more US visitors further by announcing an online method that would allow Americans to apply for a visa in “several clicks”.
In sharing what he described as “some good news”, Xie said that not only can Americans enjoy China’s 240-hour visa free policy, “but also will be able to apply for a Chinese visa in just several clicks through the China Consular Affairs app very soon.”
The US is already among the 55 countries that are part of China’s 240-hour visa-free policy.
US-China relations in 2025 are unfolding along two distinct tracks: cautious progress through high-level trade talks and mounting friction marked by new economic barriers and geopolitical competition.
The year began with a second round of trade war between the world’s two largest economies, rattling global markets. But since May, multiple rounds of negotiations have produced a framework agreement, bringing a measure of stability. As per the truce, Beijing has approved the export of some rare earths of American companies and the US has allowed the export of certain low-end semiconductors to China.
Now a final deal faces a November deadline, with US President Donald Trump set to meet President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea in October.
One breakthrough came this month in the long-running dispute over technology ties. The two sides struck a deal on TikTok after Trump signed an executive order approving a US$14 billion divestiture of the app’s US operations from ByteDance to a consortium led by American investors including Oracle and Walmart.
Trump’s tone towards China has been strikingly softer than his sharp attacks on allies such as the European Union or rivals like India, where he has denounced “unfair” trade practices more forcefully.
Yet barriers remain steep. The US Commerce Department on Monday issued an interim final notice, looking to expand its trade blacklist to American subsidiaries of foreign companies that are already blacklisted. Such a move could hurt Chinese businesses as Washington has repeatedly targeted Chinese entities based in the US.
Average tariffs on Chinese imports stand at about 55 per cent. Beijing has pushed Washington to remove a 25 per cent levy linked to fentanyl, but Trump’s trade team has held firm, producing a stalemate.
Last week, Trump slapped 100 per cent tariffs on foreign-branded pharmaceuticals. On Monday, he pledged “substantial” tariffs on imported furniture, directly targeting a sector dominated by Chinese manufacturers.
But China is already looking elsewhere. China’s exports to the US have dropped about 15 per cent this year, but trade to Southeast Asia, Africa and other regions is expanding rapidly. Washington has also been concerned about China’s pause on the purchase of American agricultural products such as soybeans.
Beyond trade, restrictions on Chinese students and journalists have emerged as fresh flashpoints, straining the people-to-people ties that have long underpinned the relationship.
In May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to “aggressively revoke” visas for students in sensitive fields or with alleged Communist Party links, unnerving some of the 280,000 Chinese enrollees and contributing to a sharp decline in admissions. For the first time, Indian students now outnumber their Chinese counterparts in US universities.
Although Trump softened his tone in June, affirming that Chinese scholars remain welcome, unease persists amid fears of discrimination under the guise of national security. Tensions deepened in late August when the US Department of Homeland Security proposed capping journalist visas at 90 days for mainland Chinese reporters, compared with 240 days for others.
Beijing has condemned the move, with its embassy warning the measure risks igniting “media warfare” that could further erode mutual understanding and spill into wider diplomatic fallout. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
