One hand with Chinese flag sleeve draws a bridge while another hand with US flag sleeve erases it, illustrating the current state of US-China relations. Illustration: Liu Rui/Global Times.
By Global Times editorial team – May 5, 2024
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left Beijing 10 days ago. What has Washington said and done about China since then?
After concluding his visit to China, Blinken once again stated, “We’re looking at the actions that we’re fully prepared to take if we don’t see a change… we’ve already imposed sanctions on more than 100 Chinese entities, export controls and we’re fully prepared to take additional measures.”
On May 1, the US announced sanctions against almost 300 targets that allegedly assist Russia in evading sanctions, including 20 companies from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.
On May 2, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, Australian Defense Chief Richard Marles and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in Honolulu to build up what they call “collective capacity” to “push back against Chinese assertiveness” in the Indo-Pacific.
On May 3, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US, boosted by allies and the private sector, is delivering for Pacific islands even if Washington alone cannot match China’s growing footprint. This is seen as the preferred strategy of the US to outcompete China in this region.
The actions and statements made by the US, particularly its systematic implementation of a competitive strategy toward China, are the primary drivers of potential instability in China-US relations.
In discussions with US officials, including Blinken, Chinese officials have repeatedly emphasized that China and the US should be partners, not adversaries—a matter of broad strategic direction.
China-US relations have reached a critical juncture; the path chosen will directly determine whether the direction evolves toward mutual loss or mutual gain, with no middle ground.
Washington is attempting to compete vigorously with China while seeking cooperation in certain areas, which is somewhat contradictory given its policy trend toward unilateral victory.
President Joe Biden has repeatedly expressed his intention to compete against China, and win. He stated, “We are in a competition with China and other countries to win the 21st century” during his first address to Congress in April 2021.
This is precisely why China-US relations are complex to stabilize, as they are seen by the US essentially as a zero-sum game.
Long-term hegemony has cultivated an arrogant and self-important attitude in Washington. The politicians and strategists currently guiding US strategy, having grown up during the peak of American domination, often view global relations through a hegemonic lens. They lack a proper and realistic understanding of the geopolitical shifts and changes in national power triggered by globalization and China’s development. They continue using Cold War-era basic understandings of international relations and order to shape policies, striving to maintain America’s hegemonic status, leading to a severe misdirection in US strategy toward China.
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Washington’s misunderstanding of Chinese modernization has led to a misalignment of its policies, establishing China as an adversary, not a partner.
Washington’s current policy and legislative trends establish China as an adversary. They are not aiming for cooperation but containment, making China uncomfortable, and increasing tensions in China’s vicinity. This approach could result in the US forcing others to choose to be either with it, or against it.
Washington’s politicians are increasingly aware that this approach results in mutual loss, yet they are still trying to step back from their determined strategy. Thus, the competition has degenerated into who can lose more and who can endure more loss.
Being partners is in the core interest of both the US and China, dictated by global peace trends; becoming enemies is not a burden either side, or the world, can bear. The gravity and significance of stabilizing China-US relations for global peace cannot be emphasized enough.
Striving for this goal is of the utmost importance. Washington must understand that China is not afraid of US strategic pressure, nor will it yield to such pressure. China’s repeated assertions are based on the overall situation and mutual interests, so to stabilize China-US relations, Washington must make adjustments, even if they are made gradually. The urgency and importance of these adjustments cannot be overstated. Efforts will undoubtedly yield results.
