China watcher says fourth US-China communiquefourth US-China communique would add little value
Veteran China watcher Li Cheng argued in a South China Morning Post article published on May 27, 2026, that the United States and China should not rush to sign a fourth joint communique.
He said a new statement would add little because Washington has not fully carried out earlier commitments, even as ties between the two powers show signs of stabilising.
The debate matters because the communiques remain one of the few formal pillars in a relationship that shapes global security and trade.
Li Cheng's View
Li Cheng argues that a new communique would not solve the deeper problem in the relationship. In his view, the issue is not the wording of another statement but whether earlier US commitments are actually being upheld.
US-China Relations Commentary
The article frames the relationship as moving toward stability, but only cautiously. From this angle, another communique could be seen as symbolic unless it changes how both sides behave on the ground.
- The original US-China communiques helped define the modern diplomatic relationship after the Cold War began.
- Joint statements between rival powers can matter most when they signal what both sides will not do.
US-China Indo-Pacific Rivalry
China and Taiwan coast guard vessels have repeatedly faced off near the Pratas Islands, with the latest standoff showing how small maritime incidents around Taiwan can quickly become confrontations.[1][5] The episode adds to wider U.S.-China military tension across the Indo-Pacific, where Beijing is expanding patrols and Washington is reinforcing regional deterrence.[2][3] The rivalry now centers on preventing miscalculation around Taiwan, the South China Sea, and nearby sea lanes.[1][3][5] It also shapes defense planning by Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States as all sides weigh coercion, sovereignty claims, and the risk of escalation.[2][3]
24 May, 07:39 AM
Taiwan and China coast guards face off near Pratas islands1 January
The United States adopts a sharper great-power competition strategy focused on China
