China questions 'sincerity' of US after Biden predicts thaw in relations

China has questioned the United States’s “sincerity” after President Biden predicted a thaw in tensions between the two nations. 

Biden at a press conference over the weekend in Hiroshima, Japan, referenced the “silly balloon" incident in which a Chinese surveillance device was shot down after floating through U.S. airspace earlier this year and said “everything changed in terms of talking to one another. I think you’re going to see that begin to thaw very shortly.”

In response to a question about Biden’s comments, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters Monday, “China and the U.S. maintain necessary communication. However, now the U.S. says it wants to speak to the Chinese side while seeking to suppress China through all possible means and impose sanctions on Chinese officials, institutions and companies." 

"Is there any sincerity in and significance of any communication like this?” she asked.

Mao called for the U.S. to “immediately lift sanctions and take concrete actions to remove obstacles, create favorable atmosphere and conditions for dialogue and communication.”

Asked at the press conference whether he would consider easing some sanctions on China to improve Washington-Beijing relations — including sanctions on China's defense minister — Biden said, "No, I’m not going to ease the sanctions."

Biden was in Japan for the Group of Seven (G-7) summit — and leaders of the G-7 nations released a joint statement that included urging China to pressure Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine and stressing they're "seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas."

U.S.-China tensions have been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the surveillance balloon incident, Beijing's stance on Taiwan and its partnership with Russia.