- Underscoring a similar sentiment, William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense in the Clinton administration, said contentious back-and-forth between the two sides had reached “dangerous” levels.
- Beijing views Washington as “its main adversary” and believes the US intends to block China’s path, said Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale University’s Paul Tsai China Center.
- Tensions between the US and China have increased over the years, ranging from trade and tariffs to tech rivalry and alleged espionage.
U.S. President Joe Biden and China’s President Xi Jinping (L) shake hands on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali November 14, 2022.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
US-China relations are on a “dangerous” path with “no trust” on either side, political observers told CNBC.
Beijing views Washington as “its main adversary” and “believes the US has intentions to block the way for China,” said Stephen Roach, senior fellow at Yale University’s Paul Tsai China Center.
“There is no trust at the moment,” he told Squawk Box Asia, which is currently attending the China Development Forum in Beijing, on Tuesday.
Underscoring a similar sentiment, William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense in the Clinton administration, said contentious back-and-forth between the two sides had reached “dangerous” levels.
“I think it’s very dangerous when you have two competing powers and nuclear weapons in the hands of both powers — that’s a very dangerous place,” Cohen, now chairman and CEO of The Cohen Group, told CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia. On Monday.
In early March, China’s new foreign minister, Qin Gang, said relations with the US had left a “rational path” and warned of conflict if Washington does not “put the brakes on”.
Tensions between the US and China have increased over the years, ranging from trade and tariffs to tech rivalry and alleged espionage.
More recently, things escalated again after the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon. This prompted Foreign Minister Antony Blinken to cancel his trip to Beijing over the incident last month.
“The balloon was a spark that really got us going downhill fast,” added Roach. “If a balloon can ruin this relationship so quickly, it just goes to show how damaged and suspicious the two nations of this relationship are.”
China and the US have also fallen out over other contentious issues.
“Washington is very concerned that China is considering providing lethal support to Russia in its war against Ukraine.” Issues with Taiwan have also drawn China’s anger, with Beijing repeatedly warning that Taiwan is the “first red line” not to be crossed.
When a balloon can ruin this relationship so quickly, it only shows how damaged and suspicious the two nations are of this relationship.
Stephen Roach
Yale University Senior Fellow
“I’ve been in China for five days now and the story here is a reflection of what you hear in the US,” Roach said. “China is absolutely convinced that they have an American problem.”
He added, “I’m going to come back to the US tonight and hear exactly the opposite – that America has a China problem.”
Last week, the CEO of Chinese social media app TikTok spent hours testifying before US lawmakers who wanted to know if American data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government.
Roach said there were “many discussions” about the topic at the China Development Forum.
“The videos of that performance really went viral,” he noted. “It’s really something I would say to the Chinese experts, officials and business people I spoke to at the [forum] found them very offensive and worried them greatly.”
Historically, the rise of two competing powers often leads to conflict “in most cases,” Cohen warned.
In his opinion, Beijing is fast becoming a global economic powerhouse, closely competing with Washington on several fronts.
China has accumulated an “amazing amount of weapons that they have developed in a very short time. Their economy is pretty solid globally, I think,” Cohen said.
The relationship is getting “more difficult,” he noted, stressing that both sides need to be committed to avoid misunderstandings or misperceptions.
There is a possibility that tensions will flare up again after Taiwan’s presidential office confirmed last week that Tsai Ing-wen will tour New York and Los Angeles during her visit to Guatemala and Belize in late March. The bureau did not provide details of her itinerary while in the United States
Regarding Taiwan, China has repeatedly said the issue is an internal matter. Beijing claims the self-governing island is part of its territory and asserts that Taiwan should have no right to engage in foreign relations.
The Biden administration has been eager to downplay the Taiwanese president’s transit, calling it “not unusual.”
“President Tsai has done it six times. Every single Taiwanese president in recent memory has done so,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a news conference last week.
“There is no reason for China to overreact. Hell, there’s no reason for her to react. I mean, it’s something that’s… commonplace and has happened before, probably will happen again. It’s personal. It’s unofficial,” he added.
Both countries are “equally guilty and mismanaging their relationship,” Roach said. Washington must find out its intentions towards Beijing, he added.
“How far are we willing to go?” he asked. “If there was ever a time to focus on resolving a troubled relationship, now is the time,” Roach said.