BEIJING: China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang emphasized the need to stabilize Sino-U.S. relations and correct the handling of the Taiwan issue in a meeting with U.S. ambassador Nicholas Burns. Qin stated that recent "erroneous words and deeds" have strained relations between the two countries and urged the U.S. to respect the "one China" principle.

The relationship between China and the U.S. deteriorated in 2020 when Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House of Representatives, visited Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.

Last year, the relationship between China and the US was strained due to the controversy surrounding Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, which led to Beijing cutting off formal communication channels with the US.

However, the situation improved after Biden and Xi pledged to increase dialogue during their meeting at the G20 summit in November. Nevertheless, China's Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, recently claimed that the progress made in their relationship has been jeopardized by recent "erroneous words and deeds" from the US, and stabilizing their relationship is crucial, with a particular emphasis on the Taiwan issue and the "one China" principle.

The progress made in Sino-U.S. relations has been disturbed, and tensions have resurfaced, according to Qin Gang, China's Foreign Minister, who emphasized the need for stabilizing the relationship, preventing mishaps, and avoiding a downward spiral.

The tension between the two countries escalated when a Chinese balloon appeared in the U.S. airspace, and the U.S. Secretary of State's visit to Beijing was cancelled in response.

However, there is hope for re-establishing regular communication, as U.S. officials have expressed a willingness to engage in talks. The recent invitation extended to John Kerry, the U.S. climate envoy, by China to discuss global climate concerns, has also offered a ray of hope towards resetting the relationship.

The Taiwan issue remains the most contentious point in the already-strained relationship between China and the United States. In response to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's meeting with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy last month, China conducted military exercises around Taiwan.

Since 1979, the U.S.-Taiwan relationship has been governed by the Taiwan Relations Act, which allows the U.S. to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, but does not require the U.S. to come to Taiwan's aid in case of attack.

To further complicate matters, the U.S. Congress has recently authorised up to $1 billion in weapons aid for Taiwan, using a type of authority that has previously been used to expedite security assistance to Ukraine.