Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, visited Beijing for 48 hours earlier this week.
During his 48-hour visit, Antony Blinken engaged in ten hours and thirty-five minutes of intense discussions with senior Chinese officials.
Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for 35 minutes during his visit to discuss finding common ground to improve US-China relations, which have deteriorated in recent months.
Tensions between the two nations are at their worst since the 1970s, causing global concern over potential repercussions.
Did Blinken accomplish his stated goals during his visit to Beijing, which were to establish crisis management mechanisms, advance US interests and those of its allies, address concerns directly, and explore potential areas of cooperation?
The US visitor's discussions with Chinese officials resulted in diplomatic language regarding the need for diligent work to prevent further deterioration in bilateral relations, with Washington acknowledging its responsibility for the state of affairs between the two largest economies. The US called for greater efforts to demonstrate goodwill and a desire for improvement, benefiting both nations, the region, and the world.
However, in practice, Blinken willingly extended an olive branch to China through a series of notable concessions in the discussions with Chinese officials, including the Chinese leader. These concessions relate to critical issues that have fueled the recent disputes between the two nations.
Beijing asserted its rights and blamed the US for the deteriorating relationship between the two strongest economies worldwide, appearing to have the upper hand. The US is now expected to bear the consequences and do more to confirm its goodwill and desire for improvement, which should benefit both nations, the region, and the world.
Blinken announced and emphasized that the US policy regarding the "One China" principle, which rejects Taiwan's independence from China, will not change - a key concession during the discussions with China. China considers Taiwan a rebellious province that will eventually return to its embrace.
US political support for Taipei and the supply of advanced weaponry have made Taiwan a major cause of recent US-China disputes, with Beijing perceiving them as a threat to its national security. The recent US position will likely give China the green light to continue pressuring and isolating Taiwan, discouraging it from considering separation from China.
China's enhancement of its military capabilities and arsenal, including unconventional weapons, will deal a significant blow to the US government, Taiwan's largest and most influential supporter. This move will require Washington to carefully reconsider its next steps with Taiwan.
Blinken's latest concession concerns a Chinese spy balloon that US fighter jets shot down over South Carolina in American territorial waters in February. The US has closed the case, and China retains the right to respond as it deems appropriate to the American action against the balloon. According to China, the balloon had drifted off course and was intended for civilian purposes related to weather conditions.
The Chinese side launched a carefully orchestrated social media campaign to portray the US as the weaker party. They shared photos of Blinken's reception at the Beijing airport and his meeting with Jinping, where the US Secretary of State was seen walking a few steps behind the Chinese leader, indicating who holds the stronger position.
In addition, leaks to local media accused the US delegation of acting recklessly, encroaching on Chinese sovereignty, and interfering in Chinese internal affairs, provoking China through various means and methods. Beijing asserted its capability and qualification to respond forcefully and punish the US for its unseemly actions, and that the Biden administration must choose between dialogue or conflict.
Beijing refused to resume military communications with the US, despite urgent American requests to do so, in order to avoid a potentially devastating all-out war with the world. This was a card retained by Beijing to pressure decision-makers in Washington.
With clashes between American and Chinese aircraft and warships continuing in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, the US has clear concerns about the suspension of military communication.
China's refusal to resume military communication is a message to Washington decision-makers that it will not compromise on matters related to its national security, especially due to ongoing US provocative activities in the Indian and Pacific Oceans - regions that Beijing considers its backyard and sphere of influence.
These activities, which include comprehensive military manoeuvres and reconnaissance flights, could lead to unforeseen consequences and ignite a full-scale war with severe global losses that cannot be tolerated at present.
The Chinese leadership has shown intelligence by not completely closing the door on the US due to common interests, such as the trade exchange expected to reach $700 billion in 2023 and China's reliance on Taiwan as a major producer of semiconductors.
Securing vital sea lanes for international trade, dealing with the North Korean nuclear crisis, and addressing other complex global crises are all factors that prioritize interests over confrontations, despite their difficulty and seeming insolubility.
The clash between the US and China does not primarily stem from economic, trade, financial, and political disputes, which are common in international relations and can be resolved through negotiations. The fundamental difference between the two countries lies in their contrasting visions of the world.
Washington seeks a world that conforms to purely American specifications, where everyone accepts its dominance without objection and others revolve around it - granting limited freedom of movement for others to express their thoughts and aspirations. The US acts as the guardian, claiming to be the most righteous and capable entity to manage and shape the world according to its ideas and principles.
Secretary Blinken emphasized that the US will defend its interests and values and work with allies to support its vision of a free and open world and strengthen the international order. He also mentioned that human rights would be on the agenda of his meetings with Chinese officials, despite the US's own violations of human rights domestically, including the minimum human rights standards for non-white populations and extrajudicial detention camps in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
China maintains a different perspective, based on pluralism and participation, rather than imposing international policies that undermine the sovereignty, security, and development interests of other countries like China. The main source of irritation in the relationship with the US is America's overwhelming sense of confidence, seeing itself as an unrivalled superpower since the end of World War II, built on remarkable economic, technological, and military advancements achieved in the past two decades.
Despite the series of sanctions imposed on Chinese entities, companies, and sectors, prominent figures in American business and finance, such as Bill Gates and Elon Musk, continue to meet with the Chinese president, exacerbating American annoyance. China has what businessmen and investors need to feel reassured and confident about their future investments in the country.
Two different visions are competing for dominance and influence, in a game being played between the US and China, with their respective tensions and dynamics, until one surpasses the other.
*The writer is a former Al-Ahram newspaper correspondent in Tokyo and an expert on East Asia's foreign affairs.
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