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Biden-Xi Virtual Meet Will Not Defuse Tensions between the US and China even at the end of 2021

There is now an adversarial relationship between the US and China and the tension soes not seems to defuse anytime soon.

Beijing’s ambition to become the world’s leading power by 2049 has increased tensions with the US, which it views as a declining power. Both sides will have to avoid actual conflict, even if it is a contained one because that would threaten to unleash massive disruptions that would affect the world at large.

It may be that President Xi Jinping feels the US is in a relatively weak position to face China, after the debacle in Afghanistan. This is even truer given US internal divisions.

Technology & Innovation Gap Between US And China

China is the world’s second-largest economy and the biggest exporter, so it has enormous international clout. China, however, is the United States’ top trading partner. In particular, countries whose economies depend heavily on exports cannot ignore the world’s largest market.
China’s economic rise was facilitated in large part by multilateral corporations that were the motor of globalization that first created a global framework for its rise as a global manufacturing hub. Democracies cannot dictate to corporations how much and how fast to decouple beyond a certain point.

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China now controls many of the critical global supply chains, and it uses interdependency as a political and economic weapon against those who oppose it. China’s rising labour costs, the CCP‘s placement of nominees on their boards of directors, and pressure from human rights groups may lead to selective decoupling.

China recently announced a five-year plan that will tighten regulation of many aspects of its economy, including technology and education industries, monopolies, and the digital economy, including internet finance, artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, online insurance companies, etc. Investors have expressed concerns.

India is the only other huge market in the US, which is causing US investors to seek alternatives; however, moving out of the world’s largest market is not a practical strategy. Due to China’s expansionist policies, as well as its bid to undermine US power in the western Pacific, the US must balance its economic interests in China with its security concerns.

China’s threat wasn’t taken seriously by the United States until recently because of the power gap between them. By outsourcing manufacturing and reshoring it, Trump’s policy towards China is aimed at hollowing out America’s manufacturing base and impoverishing its middle class.

Biden Administration’s Tough Stand On China

In the beginning, the Biden administration was expected to be more accommodating to China and find a modus vivendi with Beijing. The narrative that President Biden would be lenient toward China was spread by Trump and the Republicans. Democratic supporters assumed that because Democrats are more likely to negotiate a solution to a problem, they would reach out to China and reverse Trump’s aggressive tactics.

It has turned out that the Biden administration has taken an unwelcome hard line against China. The United States has discovered that the technology and innovation gap between China and the US is much smaller than thought and that no time should be wasted in maintaining American leadership.

Tensions Between The United States & China Will Not Be Eased By Biden-Xi Virtual Meeting

To meet the challenge, the United States must build strong coalitions. U.S. pressure is being applied to European countries as it relates to screening Chinese investments, excluding Huawei from 5G telecom networks, and ensuring resilient supply chains. Italian participation in the BRI is under threat.

A hardened approach toward China is characterized by measures like the Aukus initiative, the placement of intermediate-range missiles on Guam, strengthening the Quad, a stronger diplomacy effort in Southeast Asia, etc.

It appears that the Quad Summit document, under technology, reveals that the US is seeking to counter China’s technology advances through cooperation with partners, to offer alternatives to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and to counteract China’s vaccine diplomacy among other efforts.

The National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the most vocal supporter of a hard policy toward China, spoke about the US commitment to realize the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific and also expressed concern about China’s economic and military coercion.

In his retort, Jin Jiechi was belligerent, saying that the US should address the dysfunctional democracy and racism in its society before telling China what to do.

A month earlier, Wendy Sherman, the US deputy secretary of state, visited China, highlighting that the US welcomes stiff competition with China, but does not wish to engage in conflict.

Backdrop For Xi-Biden Meet

This bluntness and openness have not been present in Biden’s communications with China. At the October White House read-out, Xi’s response was not overbearing. A virtual meeting between US Vice President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping has been agreed to in principle before year’s end after US National Security Advisor Yang Jiechi met Yang Jiechi in Zurich.

Tensions Between The United States & China Will Not Be Eased By Biden-Xi Virtual Meeting

Despite the fact that the planned meeting is part of the US efforts to manage competition with China, the White House National Security Council spokesperson suggested that the meeting’s purpose is not to yield specific deliverables but to ensure that there is a positive outcome for both sides.

Background to the meeting included China’s military provocations against Taiwan, the US raising its political and diplomatic engagement levels with the island and warning against any use of force, the presence of US trainers on Taiwan, combined with the Chinese threats of military action to prevent Taiwan’s independence, is not optimal.

Amidst the sixth CCP plenum meeting which sets the stage for his third term at next year’s 20th Party Congress, Xi needs to appear strong. There is an increasing anti-Chinese climate in the US, including among Congress members.

There will be no defusing of this confrontation with Biden-Xi in a virtual meeting. In order to restore China’s reputation in the world, Xi wants to revitalize it. We want to maintain our rightful place at the top of the “free world”. It is unlikely that differences can be settled due to Xi’s consolidation of power. China under Xi is more likely to continue following the path that he has set for his country the more the US seeks to build coalitions to contain the China threat.

edited and proofread by: nikita sharma

Nandana Valsan

Nandana Valsan is a Journalist/Writer by profession and an 'India Book of Records holder from Kochi, Kerala. She is pursuing MBA and specializes in Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s best known for News Writings for both small and large Web News Media, Online Publications, Freelance writing, and so on. ‘True Love: A Fantasy Bond’ is her first published write-up as a co-author and 'Paradesi Synagogue: History, Tradition & Antiquity' is her second successful write-up in a book as a co-author in the National Record Anthology. She has won Millenia 15 Most Deserving Youth Award 2022 in the category of Writer. A lot of milestones are waiting for her to achieve. Being a Writer, her passion for helping readers in all aspects of today's digital era flows through in the expert industry coverage she provides.

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