According to China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang, relations between the two nations are at their lowest point since they first established diplomatic ties. He blamed the US for this decline in relations. Because of the tensions in the Taiwan Strait and US concerns that China may invade Taiwan within this decade, relations have been extremely shaky.
Source: The Japan Times
In the last month, US and Chinese warships and planes have come dangerously close to colliding twice over the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait because of suspected surveillance balloons. Blinken travelled to Beijing during this tense time. It was the first time in five years that a US Secretary of State has visited China.
Rather than the result, it is important only that it happened at all. An important goal of Blinken’s visit was to re-establish direct lines of contact between the US and Chinese forces, but Beijing declined to do so. China’s growing challenge to America’s decades-old position as the only superpower is what’s causing these tensions. Competition between the two appears to be evolving into war. Washington is urging setting guardrails to stop that possibility.
It is important to consider the US requests for meetings between senior defence officials and the creation of hotlines in this perspective. China views the US as not competing but rather working with friends and partners, such as India, to restrict China’s ascent, despite the US’s demands for managing competition.
Source: WION
Tensions may lessen a bit in the coming months as President Xi Jinping is due to visit the US in November for the APEC meeting. It seemed improbable that the situation would improve in the medium and long run, though. While Blinken’s visit could have contributed to thawing tensions to some extent, several further contacts at all levels are required to stop the relationship’s downhill trend. Officials refer to the other side as an enemy or an opponent in both the US and China. If they want to stop the current rush to the edge, all sides will need to refrain from acting provocatively. The globe, as well as the US and China itself, as well as their friends and neighbours, are worried about the stability of the US-China relationship.
What do you think about this? Comment below.
