Recent maneuvers from the US, with its blend of diplomacy and containment, are drawing the ire of China’s formidable intelligence arm. The looming question now is whether this brewing tension jeopardizes the anticipated November summit between the two superpowers.
Veiled Threats and Impending Summits
Amid the backdrop of alleged US attempts to warm bilateral ties, China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) has delivered its most trenchant response yet.
With a series of American officials, including the US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, knocking on Beijing’s doors recently, the narrative from Washington remains consistent: the Biden administration isn’t attempting to throttle China’s progression or strive for a disentanglement.
Yet, the Chinese ministry swiftly countered this narrative by equating it to “old wine in new bottles,” alluding to the continued US endorsement of arms deals and financial backing to Taiwan—a region over which China has long asserted its sovereignty.
However, the MSS didn’t stop at Taiwan. They went further, alleging the US of sowing discord in areas like the South China Sea and Tibet.
Moreover, there’s the underlying issue of the US’s denunciation of what they termed as the forceful assimilation of a significant Tibetan child population into government-overseen boarding institutions.
Coupled with these geopolitical tussles, China took umbrage at the US’s negative portrayal of the Chinese economic landscape. The recent label by President Joe Biden, depicting China as a “ticking timebomb” owing to its decelerated economic expansion, hasn’t gone unnoticed in Beijing.
Now, all eyes are fixated on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum set to take place in San Francisco this November. This event could witness the first face-to-face interaction between President Xi Jinping and Biden since their last rendezvous at the G20 in Bali.
However, there’s an air of uncertainty. The MSS’s stance is unambiguous: for a genuine progression “From Bali to San Francisco”, the US must exhibit genuine earnestness.
The Undercurrents of Bilateral Tensions
Since the resurrection of diplomatic ties in 1979, the US’s modus operandi towards China has oscillated between fostering connections and enforcing restrictions.
The recent slew of visits by key American dignitaries, such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, suggests Washington’s eagerness to thaw relations and bolster dialogue.
Raimondo’s recent journey to Beijing was particularly noteworthy. Despite expressing her contentment over constructive interactions with Chinese officials, she didn’t shy away from calling out Beijing on the mounting challenges faced by US enterprises in China.
From seemingly arbitrary penalties to abrupt police interventions in corporate spaces and the introduction of new legislation surrounding espionage and data – the challenges are multifaceted.
Yet, the stance of the MSS remains defiant. Their perspective is unwavering: both the Trump and Biden tenures have consistently ratcheted up efforts to economically disentangle and encircle China.
Such strategies, they contend, are fated to crumble. In their view, the tides of history are not flowing in America’s favor. The renaissance of the Chinese nation, they argue, has embarked on an unalterable trajectory.
It’s worth noting that, in a move underscoring China’s assertiveness, President Xi Jinping has opted out of the forthcoming G20 leaders’ conference in New Delhi. This decision marks the first instance of him giving a miss to such a conclave since his ascension to power nearly a decade ago.
To surmise, the US-China dynamics are convoluted, with both powers seeking leverage on the global stage. While Washington seems eager to mend fences, Beijing remains wary, demanding more than just “beautiful words.” The ball, it appears, is firmly in the US’s court.
