Removing irrational burdens crucial for ties

The high-level reception former US treasury secretary Henry Paulson received during his visit to Beijing on Monday and Tuesday should make Beijing's desire to mend ties with Washington clear to all. Paulson met separately with the Chinese vice-president, foreign minister and central bank president.

Vice-President Han Zheng met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Sept 18. Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Malta on Sept 16 and 17. Both Han and Wang were thus well informed of the latest concerns of the US side regarding Sino-US relations. That made their meetings with Paulson to-the-point regarding the pain points for ties.

In their meetings, Beijing obviously toned down its discourse on the United States' role in the straining of relations. That's not only because of Paulson's nonofficial identity, but more importantly because the hard-earned positive momentum of Sino-US ties, mainly in the economic and financial sectors, promises further improvement in their relations if it is nurtured by both sides.