The United States Congress has become a stumbling block for a stable China-U.S. relation, Wu Xinbo, Dean of Institute of International Studies in Fudan University, said on Thursday.
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the U.S. Congress, once again focused on curbing China in the first week after their summer break, approving a sweeping package of China-related bills that restrict Chinese companies in areas such as agriculture, biotechnology and electric vehicles.
Speaking in a high-end interview on China-U.S. relations during the three-day Beijing Xiangshan Forum on Thursday, Wu said that Congress heeds the messaging of U.S. President Joe Biden on China-related issues while at the same time taking measures that are at odds with his policy actions.
"When the President and Secretary of State go out in public and say China is America's primary strategic competitor, what kind of message are you sending to Congress? I think the executive branch really shapes the environment in which Congress thinks about their China agenda. Today, people think Congress is the most vocal and hostile voice against China in the United States. They are not only passing a lot of bills against China which come into law later on. But also they are poisoning the atmosphere for China-U.S. relations. And also, it's fair to say that sometimes they even exert pressure on the executive branch, not [going] along [with] the Biden decision to engage with China, not to stabilize relation with China. In that sense, Congress today is very much a liability to a good China-U.S. relationship," Wu said.
Initiated in 2006, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum is a high-level security and defense forum in Asia-Pacific with significant international influence. This year's forum, themed "Promoting Peace for a Shared Future", is taking place in Beijing from Thursday to Saturday.
U.S. Congress becoming stumbling block for stable China-U.S. relation: scholar
A global wave of festive celebrations is unfolding as the Chinese Lunar New Year approaches, with the 2025 Spring Festival Gala promotional video by China Media Group (CMG) serving as a cultural bridge, connecting people from diverse backgrounds to the richness of Chinese traditions.
The Spring Festival falls on Jan 29 this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake, according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
At the new compound of the Mission of China to the AU in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, a gala was held on Monday to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival.
Featured Chinese foods and traditional performances from both China and Africa, among others, the event has brought together over 300 participants including the representatives of the AU and the Chinese community in Addis Ababa.
Monique Nsanzabaganwa, deputy chairperson for the African Union Commission, said AU-China cooperation has achieved gratifying and fruitful results during the previous years, noting China's 35-year-long tradition of dispatching its foreign minister to Africa on their first overseas trips at the start of a year.
The AU is willing to work with China to make greater contribution to the development and prosperity of the Global South, she said.
"I wish Africa-China relations will achieve greater progress in 2025 and building an all weather Africa-China community with a shared future for the new era will yield fruitful results," Nsanzabaganwa said.
The promotional video for the 2025 Spring Festival Gala was also aired at the event, marking a step forward in cultural exchange while igniting interest in Chinese traditions among attendees.
Meanwhile, cinemas in landmark locations across Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban in South Africa conducted a synchronized screening of the promotional video for the Spring Festival Gala, marking a first for the collaborative initiative.
A South Korean expatriate residing in South Africa expressed that seeing the promotional video of the gala, which represents elements of the Chinese Lunar New Year, in South African cinemas evoked a warm sense of longing for family reunions within her.
"As a foreigner, I was very impressed by the Chinese Spring Festival Gala last year, I was so happy to see the beautiful performances in South Africa's shopping mall at Nu Metro (Cinema). I'm very looking forward to see the live performance with my husband and baby at this Chinese New Year," she said.
In addition, the Chinese Embassy in Zambia on Sunday held the 2025 Zambia-Chinese Spring Festival Temple Fair with a display of Chinese culture in celebration of the upcoming Spring Festival.
Featuring various Chinese cultures, including a kung fu performance, the celebration attracted scores of both Chinese people and local people, officials from the Chinese embassy and the Zambian government, and representatives of Chinese enterprises operating in Zambia.
Chinese food was also on display, while Chinese companies took advantage of the ceremony to showcase their products and services.
During the event, the promotional video for the gala made a stunning appearance, becoming the focal point of the gathering.
In December last year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization inscribed "Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Promotional video for CMG Spring Festival Gala screened in various countries