The relationship between the world's two largest economies - the US and China - has seen better days.
Recently, China has ceased to be the main importer from the US.
Economic relations between the US and China have deteriorated in recent years in the face of a protracted trade and technology war and Beijing's geopolitical ambitions, which include claiming almost all of the South China Sea and military threats to Taiwan.
In this context, American distrust of Chinese economic policies - under the presidency of Xi Jinping - is growing. And on this point, even "rivals" Donald Trump and Joe Biden are "united".
The secret to reconciliation
This Friday, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that Washington wants to forge a "healthy economic relationship" with Beijing, at a meeting with US business leaders based in Guangzhou, in southeast China.
During the meeting, Yellen underlined the United States' intention to work with China to achieve a relationship that guarantees equal conditions for US workers and companies.
According to a statement, she stressed the importance of "frank and open" communication with China to achieve this goal.
The secretary met with business representatives from the US, the European Union (EU) and Japan, who expressed "concerns" about China's excess industrial capacity in certain sectors.
During her visit to China, Yellen intends to discuss "unfair trade practices" with representatives of the Chinese government and, in particular, to highlight "the impact of Chinese overproduction on the world economy".
On Thursday, she began her second visit to China in less than a year, which runs until April 9.
Biden and Jinping don't see eye to eye
This visit comes after US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, spoke on Tuesday in a phone call that the White House described as frank, but in which, according to the Chinese government, there was some friction.
Since Joe Biden and Xi Jinging don't see eye to eye, Janet Yellen's mission is to stabilize a conflictual relationship between the world's two largest economies, namely by setting up bilateral working groups dedicated to economic and financial issues.
The US is particularly concerned about the increase in low-cost Chinese exports in sectors such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar panels, which could prevent the formation of a US industry in these areas.
No final de 2023, Janet Yellen garantiu que Washington vai continuar a exigir maior clareza na política económica chinesa, avisando que a China era “demasiado importante para construir o seu crescimento com base nas exportações”.
Na quarta-feira, o porta-voz do Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros chinês, Wang Wenbin, disse que a China espera que a visita de Yellen sirva para “construir consensos” com os Estados Unidos e que Washington esteja “disposta a trabalhar com Pequim para chegar a um meio-termo”.
