Inside Story

Can China and the US mend strained diplomatic ties?

Meeting in Alaska gets off to a tense start.

Alaska is playing host to a meeting to reset frosty relations between China and the United States.

But hopes of a thaw quickly melted away.

At the start of the talks, Washington and Beijing’s top diplomats traded sharp rebukes for an hour, accusing each other of grandstanding and hypocrisy.

The exchange highlighted big differences over everything – from global security to trade and human rights.

So can the superpowers find common ground?

And how will the outcome affect their friends and foes?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Scott Snyder – Director of the US-Korea Policy Program, Council on Foreign Relations

Melinda Liu – Beijing bureau chief for Newsweek

Phar Kim Beng – Founder of Strategic Pan Indo-Pacific Arena