Blinken lays out US strategy to counter China as rivalry grows

Washington, DC – Despite the present deal with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China poses the “most serious long-term challenge to the international order”, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has mentioned.

In a significant speech delivered at George Washington University in Washington, DC on Thursday, Blinken unveiled the United States’ multipronged strategy amid intensifying competition with China.

“The Biden administration strategy can be summed up in three words: invest, align, compete,” Blinken mentioned.

“We will invest in the foundations of our strength here at home – our competitiveness, our innovation, our democracy. We will align our efforts with our network of allies and partners acting with common purpose and in common cause, and harnessing these two key assets we’ll compete with China to defend our interests and build our vision for the future.”

The high US diplomat careworn that Washington shouldn’t be searching for to block Beijing’s position as a “major power”, however is wanting to defend what he known as the “rules-based order”, which he mentioned maintains world stability and has enabled China’s personal rise.

“We are not looking for conflict or a new Cold War,” Blinken mentioned. “To the contrary, we’re determined to avoid both.”

The relationship between Washington and Beijing has seen rising tensions prior to now few years as the US prioritised strategic competitors with China in its overseas coverage beneath former President Donald Trump, a place absolutely embraced by present President Joe Biden.

Amid efforts to mend ties, the Biden administration irked China final 12 months when it secured a deal with the United Kingdom to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

Biden additionally has pushed to revive the Asia-Pacific Quad alliance with India, Australia and Japan, and met with the international locations’ leaders throughout his visit to Tokyo earlier this week after internet hosting them on the White House in September.

Earlier in May, the US additionally held a summit in Washington for the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), lots of which have disputes with Beijing over competing claims to the South China Sea.

Biden drew Beijing’s ire this week when he mentioned the US would come to Taiwan’s help militarily if China tries to seize the self-governed island by pressure.

Another situation within the relationship is the US’s criticism of China’s human rights document. In its closing days in 2021, the Trump administration accused China of committing genocide in opposition to its Uighur Muslim inhabitants within the western area of Xinjiang – a dedication that was backed by Biden and his overseas coverage workforce.

China has rejected the genocide cost, calling it “slanderous” and “absurd”, arguing that the US is pushing the accusation for geopolitical causes.

US grievances

On Thursday, Blinken outlined Washington’s grievances with Beijing, saying that China has turn out to be “more repressive at home and more aggressive abroad” beneath President Xi Jinping.

“We see that in how Beijing has perfected mass surveillance within China and exported that technology to more than 80 countries,” Blinken mentioned. “How it’s advancing unlawfully maritime claims within the South China Sea, undermining peace and safety, freedom of navigation and commerce.

“How it’s circumventing or breaking trade rules, harming workers and companies in the United States, but also around the world. And how it purports to champion sovereignty and territorial integrity while standing with governments that brazenly violate them.”

The US secretary of state was referring to China’s shut ties with Russia, which have continued after the invasion of Ukraine regardless of Washington’s warnings.

China has taken a impartial public place on the conflict in Ukraine, urging nations to assist efforts to attain a decision to the battle, whereas resisting strain from Washington and its allies in Europe to condemn Russia.

It additionally has repeatedly criticised what it calls unlawful and unilateral Western sanctions.

Blinken’s speech comes as China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi starts a tour of 10 Pacific states, together with the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and East Timor, to strengthen ties with the international locations.

“It’s fairly clear that Xi Jinping views his most important legacy as making China a superpower, as returning China to what he sees as its historically rightful place as a world power,” mentioned Christopher Heurlin, affiliate professor of presidency and Asian research at Bowdoin College within the US state of Maine. “And that means economic growth, but it also means becoming a military power that’s able to exert a large influence on politics in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.”

For the US, Heurlin mentioned specializing in competitors with China is likely one of the few issues that unites Republicans and Democrats.

“There’s definitely a desire to preserve America’s superpower status and its influence in the world order, which does mean that these two countries do have conflicting objectives to a certain extent. So, there is certainly potential for tensions at the very least,” he instructed Al Jazeera.

Although the Biden administration purports to be safeguarding the worldwide order that’s rooted in paperwork such as the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, critics of US overseas coverage say Washington has violated these rules.

For instance, in 2003 the US led an invasion of Iraq with out authorisation from the UN Security Council.

The Biden administration additionally continues to defend Israel at worldwide boards and supply navy help to the nation though Israel violates quite a few provisions of worldwide legislation, together with by constructing settlements within the occupied Palestinian territories. Moreover, Washington has recognised Israel’s illegal annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights.

Great investments

On Thursday, Blinken mentioned Washington’s strategy to counter Beijing will see better funding in analysis and innovation within the US. He additionally mentioned Biden has directed the Department of Defense to maintain China as its “pacing challenge”.

“The administration is shifting our military investments away from platforms that were designed for the conflicts of the 20th century toward asymmetric systems that are longer range, harder to find, easier to move,” he mentioned.

Blinken highlighted the Biden administration’s emphasis on alliances within the Asia-Pacific area, together with the Quad, ASEAN and the safety partnership between the US, UK and Australia, recognized as AUKUS.

He famous that Biden this week launched an initiative recognized as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, bringing greater than a dozen states from the area collectively in financial cooperation.

While Blinken made it clear that the competitors with China will form US overseas coverage going ahead, he mentioned there are areas the place the 2 international locations ought to work collectively, together with mitigating the local weather disaster, combating COVID-19, thwarting the illicit drug commerce and guaranteeing world meals safety.

Against this backdrop, the highest US diplomat warned in opposition to hate or hostility at house in opposition to Chinese Americans and Asian Americans extra broadly.

“Chinese Americans made invaluable contributions to our country; they’ve done so for generations,” Blinken mentioned. “Mistreating someone of Chinese descent goes against everything we stand for as a country – whether a Chinese national visiting or living here or Chinese American or any other Asian American, whose claim to this country is equal to anyone else’s.”