California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent visit to China was successful and significant for a number of reasons. It shows that California is willing to play a leading role in global diplomacy, even as the federal government has retreated from its traditional role in this area.
- It was the first visit by a US governor to China in over four years. This came at a time when relations between the US and China were strained with tensions.
- President Xi Jinping took the time to have a meaningful talk with him. It was a sign that China attaches importance to Newsom’s visit.
- Newsom and Xi signed a declaration on climate cooperation. This was a significant accomplishment.
Back in December, 2021, the initial meeting between China and President Biden’s delegates in Alaska started off on the wrong foot. US Secretary Blinken opened the meeting by lecturing to the Chinese delegates who in turn accused the US of hypocrisy and lectured the US on its own human rights record. The bilateral relationship went downhill from there until recently when a succession of high level officials (Biden, Yellen, Kerry and Raimondo) visited China to address the multitude of bilateral issues including the possibility of permanent decoupling.
In contrast, Newsom’s visit ended with both sides agreeing to continue dialogue and to work towards a more stable relationship. It showed that it is still possible for the two countries to find areas of cooperation. To his credit, Newsom is willing to take a different approach to US-China relations. Newsom was willing to use diplomacy to “win” over China. He showed sensitivity to Chinese culture and he used it to his advantage. He did this in a number of ways, including:
- Learning a few basic Chinese phrases.
- Visiting culturally significant sites. He also met with Chinese cultural leaders, such as filmmakers and artists.
- Praising Chinese culture by speaking about the importance of people-to-people exchanges and emphasizing the need to respect each other’s cultures.
- Making an effort to mingle with ordinary Chinese people. This was a significant departure from the typical approach of visiting US officials. Newsom mingled with ordinary Chinese people by visiting public markets and,
Gavin Newsom understands the Chinese concept of face (mianzi 面子) by avoiding bringing up China’s human rights record. Newsom chose to focus on areas of cooperation. This approach is more likely to be productive in terms of promoting dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.
Overall, Newsom’s China Visit was a significant event in the current US-China relations.