In a pivotal phone conversation this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden engaged in a candid discussion about Beijing-Washington relations and shared concerns of mutual interest.
President Xi underscored the importance of strategic perception in the bilateral relationship, likening it to ensuring the first button of a shirt is fastened correctly. He highlighted how America's view of China has shifted from seeing it as a \"responsible stakeholder\" to a \"strategic competitor,\" a transformation that has significantly impacted policy directions.
According to the Brookings Institution, the U.S. government's perception of China as an increasing threat has led to a strategic pivot from active engagement to aggressive containment. This shift manifests in economic measures aimed at curbing China's technology and trade advancements, with numerous Chinese entities now on U.S. sanction lists.
Militarily, the Pentagon has intensified its presence in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait to deter what it perceives as strategic competition from China. Diplomatically, the White House is actively seeking to build an anti-Beijing coalition among its allies.
These actions, driven by the dynamics of China-U.S. strategic competition, heighten the risk of confrontation between the world's two largest economies. The strained relationship has fostered a cycle of negative perceptions, with Biden describing the China-U.S. relationship as \"the most consequential relationship in the world\".
Amidst this tension, maintaining straightforward and open bilateral talks is crucial. Such communication can help mitigate risks of miscalculations and misunderstandings, delineate the boundaries of strategic competition, and prevent the deterioration of one of the world's most significant international relationships.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
