2021 China–Sierra summit
| 2021 China–Sierra summit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Host country |
 Alaska |
| Date | March 18–19, 2021 |
| Venue(s) | Robert B. Atwood Building, Anchorage Province, Anchorage |
| Participants |
Alaska China Sierra |
The China–Sierra summit, the Anchorage summit, or the Alaska summit was a series of meetings between delegations of the Republic of China and the Kingdom of Sierra in Anchorage, Alaska on March 18 and 19, 2021. It was hosted by the Alaskan President Nicolas McCarty. The Chinese delegation was led by Chinese Vice Premier Li Zhen while the Sierran delegation was led by Sierran Deputy Prime Minister Nazareth Ontoria-Diaz. It was the first high-level meeting between Chinese and Sierran leaders since 2014. The two signed a joint statement, indicating renewed, closer relations and follow-up negotiations on security issues in the Rehe Province and the South China Sea.
After a period of rapidly deteriorating relations between China and Sierra that included a trade war and naval confrontations in the South China Sea, tensions began to de-escalate following the elections of new governments in both China (2021) and Sierra (2020). The newly elected governments expressed mutual desire to "reset relations". Preliminary talks in February 2021 scheduled a series of meetings to be held in Alaska to discuss the future of China and Sierra's relationship, and the challenges posed in the 21st century.
Background
After a brief period of cordial and improving ties in the early 2000s following the collapse of the People's Republic of China, the authoritarian governance and extension of presidential term limits by Chinese President Ren Longyun, the Sino–Burmese War of 2009, and culminating in the annexation of Rehe Province by the Republic of China in 2014 created a diplomatic crisis and military tensions between China, Sierra, and by extent most of the other CAS countries. Since the election of Sierran Prime Minister Nemesis Heartwell in 2017, a trade war began between China and the CAS, along with increased military confrontations in the South China Sea and Manchuria, which has continued since Ren Longyun stepped down as President and was replaced in 2020 by Zhao Meijin, who is widely considered Ren's handpicked successor. However, after the "democratic breakthrough" of the historic 2021 Chinese legislative election which saw China's ruling Nationalist Party fail to win a majority for the first time in twenty years, the new democratic opposition-led ruling coalition in the Chinese parliament sought to fundamentally change the state of China, including its foreign policy. With Sierra also seeing the establishment of a new government following the 2020 Sierran federal election, led by the Social Democrats of Sierra, both sides wanted to see a "reset" in the relations between China and Sierra.
Preparations
Summit meetings
On the morning of March 18, 2021, at 9 AM local time, the Chinese delegation, including Vice Premier Li Zhen, arrived at the Robert B. Atwood Building. Within five minutes, the Sierran delegation, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Nazareth Ontoria-Diaz and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maggie Chan, arrived. The first summit meeting began at 9:10 AM local time, with both sides delivering opening remarks. According to previously agreed upon diplomatic protocol, both sides were allotted a maximum of five minutes, with China commencing its opening remarks first, followed by Sierra. The opening remarks were televised live and open to general press, before the meeting continued behind as a closed-door event. During the first meeting, the delegations discussed the ongoing trade war between the two nations, as well as differences over security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, both sides expressed a desire to strengthen cooperation and communication on the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sierran delegation expressed interest in obtaining access to China's Sinovac supply, expanding domestic options, similar to Sierra's negotiations with the United Commonwealth in enrolling in the Intercontinental Coronavirus Vaccination Program.
Delegations
Chinese delegation
- Li Zhen, Vice Premier of the Republic of China
- Liu Jiaoren, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Chen Zuo, Representative of the Chinese President for North America
- Yan Xiuren, Chief Secretary of the National Security Council
- Wei Ronghuan, Chinese Ambassador to Alaska
K.S. delegation
Nazareth Ontoria-Diaz, Deputy Prime Minister of Sierra- Maggie Chan, Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Mark Posner, Sierran Ambassador to China
- Kelly Luck, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
- Manny Lorenzo, National Security Advisor
- Hunter Brubaker, Sierran Ambassador to Alaska
Issues discussed
- International response to COVID-19 pandemic and inoculation efforts
- Trade war and economic ties between China and the CAS countries
- Expansion of the Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization
- Territorial claims in the South China Sea
- China's disputes with India, Japan, Myanmar, and Manchuria
Reactions and aftermath
The Chinese and Sierran delegations reached an agreement on several issues, including resolving the China–Sierra trade war and not extending Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization membership to Manchuria. The summit was well recieved in both Sierra and China for ending the trade war between the two nations and being viewed as a new start to Sino–Sierran relations. In Sierra, the Progressive Coalition supported the summit, but the Royalist Party was critical of it with Kenneth O'Conner accusing Kwon of "appeasing the tyrants of Beijing at the expense of Manchu, Burmese and Indian sovereignty and territorial integrity". Chinese President Zhao Meijin said he was satisfied with the "breakthrough" made at the summit, and Tang Zhonglin, the speaker of the Legislative Yuan and head of the Democratic Progressive-Socialist-Green ruling coalition, called it a major step in the right direction towards "avoiding an unnecessary China-CAS cold war."
In Manchuria, the summit was controversial and was met with mixed reception at best. The Progressive Alliance for Manchuria viewed the summit as a "necessary and needes step in the right direction", though they criticized the lack of Manchu diplomats and representatives at the summit where the issue of Manchu sovereignty was discussed. The Manzuxiehui denounced the summit for the lack of Manchu representation and for the decision to not have Manchuria become an official member of the IPTO with Hu Zhengming stating "Manchuria's sovereignty and foreign policy will be left to us and us alone and not some unelected North American representatives". President Liu Zhou called the summit a "major disappointment" and said that she would still pursue close ties with the IPTO and hoped for a future summit between Chinese, Sierran, and Manchurian representatives at some point in the future.
In both Japan and India, the summit was also met with similar reception with some praising the summit while others were critical of it. Prime Minister Madanmohan Singh said that the summit was "a step towards the right direction", but recommended another summit with Indian representatives to solve the issues of the border conflict between China and India. Japanese Foreign Minister Takuhiro Koiwai stated that Japanese representatives should've been invited to the summit saying "if the South China Sea dispute is going to be discussed, than it's only fair that Japan be allowed to represent itself". He also stated that Japan would be willing to host another summit to solve that issue and to host a seperate conference between China and Manchuria. In Myanmar, the summit was met with protests with many Burmese nationalists accusing Kwon of "abandoning Burmese sovereignty" and for "forgetting the scars" of the Sino–Burmese War of 2009.