Preventing the competition between the United States and China from turning into a brutal confrontation is the central theme of the 21st century in international relations as far as the eye can see. With that goal in mind, the leaders of the world’s two major powers met in person this Monday in the city of Nusa Dua on the Indonesian island of Bali for the first time since Joe Biden took over the US presidency after winning his country’s election two years earlier. Both leaders expressed their desire to improve relations in what many experts say is the most tense period since diplomatic relations normalized in the 1970s.
“I firmly believe that there doesn’t have to be a new Cold War,” Biden reflected after the more than three-hour meeting on the eve of the G-20 summit, which is scheduled to begin in Bali this Tuesday. . . The bilateral meeting brought, as a more tangible result, the mandate for both governments to increase dialogue in transcendental and problematic areas. These include climate change with a commitment to “work together for the success of COP27,” according to Beijing’s report, a key twist after the severing of ties on the matter following the controversial visit of Nancy Pelosi, spokeswoman for Taiwan, the US House of Representatives.
“In my view, we share the responsibility to show that China and the United States can manage their differences, prevent competition from turning into conflict, and find ways to work together on pressing global issues that require our mutual cooperation,” said Biden start of appointment. For his part, the Chinese president pointed out that the situation in which Sino-US relations find themselves “does not correspond to the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples, nor does it correspond to the expectations of the international community”. “We must play the leading role, set the right course for the bilateral relationship and put it on an upward trend,” Xi added.
Joe Biden shakes hands with Xi Jinping this Monday in Nusa Dua (Indonesia). Alex Brandon (AP)
The resumption of a climate dialogue is undoubtedly a step in that direction, and good decisions bring calm at a very turbulent time, but do not clarify the underlying problems. The Taiwan question illustrates this well. Xi made it clear to Biden that according to Beijing’s account, this is “the first red line that must not be crossed in Sino-US relations.” According to the White House report, Biden denounced China’s “increasingly aggressive actions” against Taiwan. However, the US President also made it clear that he does not believe in an imminent invasion of Beijing and has no intention of changing Washington’s traditional position on the issue. In recent months, however, he has broken with tradition by saying very clearly on at least four occasions that he is ready to deploy US forces to protect Taiwan from unjustified attacks.
Referring to economic-technological competition, Biden expressed his unease about “Chinese practices that go against the laws of the market.” On this basis, the Trump administration has launched an all-out tariff war, while the Biden administration is seeking to limit China’s access to key US technologies and urge companies to reduce their dependence on China by relying more on others, leave friendly countries.
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Xi was emphatic about that. China believes the US is maliciously trying to stem its rise. “Repression and containment will only strengthen the will of the Chinese people,” Xi told his counterpart, according to the Beijing report. “Starting a trade war or technology war, erecting walls and barriers and pushing for decoupling or disruption of supply chains goes against market principles and subverts the norms of international trade. These attempts are of no use to anyone. We reject the politicization and arming of economic and commercial links and scientific and technological exchanges.”
There is much more. The US is urging China to take action against North Korea’s rearmament, an issue that is of greatest concern in countries such as South Korea or Japan. “It is not clear whether China has the ability to control North Korea. But what is clear is that he has an obligation to try,” Biden said at the post-meeting press conference, stressing that Washington will increase its military presence in the region to protect its allies if this momentum doesn’t stop.
Growing US military ties in the region is an issue that has irked China with the newly formed Aukus Alliance, under which Australia will arm itself with a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as a crystal clear example.
The rivalry runs deep. According to the new US national security strategy released by the Biden administration in October, the Asian giant is “the only country intent on reshaping the international order, and increasingly the economic, diplomatic, military and technological order, to accomplish this goal. ”
Biden came to the appointment politically empowered by a better-than-expected general election result for Democrats, who managed to retain control of the Senate. As a whole, the US sits at the table ahead of its main competitor with the great advantage of the power display of its alliance network in these troubled times. Dozens of countries have banded together and played an active role against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
China will no doubt have noted the remarkable Western response in terms of financial and military support for the victim, as well as sanctions against the attacker. Beijing will also reflect on how modernized and, on paper, fearsome forces like the Russians have proven fragile and incapable of fighting an enemy who, despite their great motivation and intelligence, only fights with modest Western supplies of arms.
Biden and Xi with their negotiating teams in Bali this Monday. SAUL LOEB (AFP)
For his part, Xi also came politically empowered by his recent coronation at the Chinese Communist Party (PCCh) Congress, which not only gave him a third term as president but also configured a leadership entirely tailored to the leader. As a whole, China sat at the table with the strength bestowed by evidence of decades of powerful and effective advances in multiple areas, including the most strategic ones such as technology or the military.
But the situation is not the best for China, with an apparent economic slowdown, ongoing problems in overcoming the pandemic and an attempt to strengthen a “borderless” relationship with Russia, which is now quite uncomfortable.
In general, it is noticeable that Beijing, unlike Washington, does not have an alliance network. It has forged close ties with dozens of countries through investment and infrastructure, but this is far from the strategic depth of ties like those of NATO, the EU, or bilateral alliances.
Precisely in this sense, it is worth noting how Biden, on the occasion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean, by its acronym in English) summit in Phnom Penh (Cambodia), just before meeting Xi in Bali, precisely to exchange ideas with his allies on the to to advise on the positions represented.
The hands of Xi Jinping (left) and Joe Biden this Monday Alex Brandon (AP)
BELIEVE THE FAULTS
A previous version falsely claimed that Biden met with the leaders of Japan and North Korea, when the correct one is South Korea.
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