Positive change more likely

Allies: Secretary of state Marco Rubio (second from right) had been considered a China hawk, but the joint statement at his first meeting with Quad counterparts (from left) Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong may indicate a dawning realism. — AFP

AMONG the speculative highlights of last November’s US presidential election was what the result would mean for United States-China relations.

The common assumption was that Donald Trump’s victory would worsen relations with China, while Kamala Harris vaguely and supposedly represented something less severe.