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WASHINGTON – The escalating escalation between the United States and China as they strive to infiltrate each other in the world is forcing other countries to position themselves between the two superpowers, putting at risk the future cooperation against geopolitical threats and the resolution of the economic crisis.
the The rivalry, which has gained momentum, is now centered on the trade war unleashed by President Trump this year. But tensions have also escalated around a large number of diplomatic and military problems, such as Taiwan, the South China Sea and the economic sanctions imposed on North Korea and Iran.
Around the world, the United States and China are fighting to form alliances or partnerships and exclude the other power. The fierce competition surfaced this weekend at an Asian Economic Forum pitting Vice President Mike Pence against Chinese President Xi Jinping. The dispute may disrupt the summit meeting of the Group of 20, which begins on November 30 in Argentina.
The United States again expressed frustration on Tuesday, accusing China of continuing to engage in unfair trade practices despite Trump's tariffs. "China has basically not changed its actions, policies and practices in technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation, and indeed seems to have taken unreasonable measures in recent months "said the US Trade Representative in a report.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly said that China "really wanted to negotiate an agreement," but continues to warn that it will tax almost all Chinese imports if Beijing does not open its markets to companies and terminates its unfair practices.
"China has been scamming our country for many, many years," the president told reporters on Tuesday at the White House. "And they do not rip us off with me."
On Wednesday in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang responded to such criticism by referring to a document previously released by the government that refuted similar accusations. "It is quite normal to have economic and commercial frictions," he said at a press conference. "The solution is to resolve them through dialogue and consultation based on mutual respect, equality and good faith."
At the economic forum held in Papua New Guinea over the weekend, the United States and China openly opposed trade in their most explosive diplomatic confrontation with the administration. Trump. Mr. Pence and Mr. Xi each led delegations seeking to convince the 19 other countries present to join his country.
Elsewhere, the two countries are developing bilateral and multilateral trade pacts that limit options for each other. During his visit to the Philippines this week, Xi signed 29 trade and investment agreements, though many were vast and vague.
Some countries are bristling with the economic demands imposed by the two superpowers.
Minister of Agriculture of Canada On Monday, his country could freely enter into formal trade negotiations with China, despite an apparent attempt by the United States to leverage such actions.
Tuesday in a blow for China, the European Union announced a bill to coordinate the control of foreign investment in strategic sectors such as ports and technology.
Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi should attend the Group of 20 meeting. Although they may be heard, "it is increasingly difficult for both parties to reconcile their views. divergent, "said Ryan Hass, an analyst for China at the Brookings Institution.
"Both countries are rooted in their stories and are finding it increasingly difficult to find common ground," said Hass. But virtually no country in Asia wants to be exclusively aligned with one or the other of these powers, he added.
On the issue of Taiwan recognition, China and the United States are pushing nations and private companies. Since 2016, China has campaigned, often with promises of loans and investments, to persuade a small number of countries to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Three Central American countries have done so over the last two years, infuriating the highest US officials, even though the US has broken official ties with Taiwan in favor of communist-ruled China in 1979.
US officials are trying to dissuade countries from taking out Chinese bonds, often for infrastructure projects, by talking about Beijing's "debt trap diplomacy". In their global propaganda campaign, they promise that US private investment will circulate around the world, in part because of a new program to help businesses with loans and insurance loans of up to $ 60 billion.
Officials in Washington are also trying to rally the nations of Southeast Asia to stand firm against Beijing over its expansive territorial claims and military buildup in the disputed southern China Sea. Pence criticized China's actions as "empire and aggression" in a speech at an annual regional forum in Singapore.
China, for its part, has told other countries that they should repel Mr. Trump as part of one of his main foreign policy actions: withdraw the United States from the nuclear deal with Iran .
The Obama administration forged an agreement to limit the Iranian nuclear program in 2015 with other world powers, including China; to reverse his decision was one of Mr. Trump's campaign promises. A senior Chinese foreign policy official told Washington this month that the deal should "be implemented and respected." China continues to buy oil from Iran, like some other countries.
China's efforts to strengthen its position on the international scene have been greatly encouraged by Mr. Trump's denunciations of multilateral institutions, alliances and treaties.
Mr. Trump has retired from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which has shaken the confidence of Asian countries. After Trump announced in June 2017 that the United States would leave the Paris climate agreement, China has come forward as the new flag bearer in the fight against climate change. Earlier this year, in a speech in Davos, Switzerland, Xi said China would defend the globalized economy against Trump's criticism.
Some Trump administration officials are hopeful that the two leaders will emerge from the G-20 meeting as part of a trade deal that would reduce the US bilateral trade deficit with China and protect the intellectual property of companies Americans who work there. Treasury Department officials have had frequent contacts with their Chinese counterparts in the hope of laying the groundwork for an agreement.
However, the last attempt at relaxation Mr. Trump's economic team.
This month, Peter Navarro, Trump's chief commercial advisor, warned that a weak deal would give the "stench" of Wall Street. A few days later, in a public reprimand, Larry Kudlow, director of the National Council of the Economy, called Mr. Navarro "very far from the base". Mr. Navarro's comments also frustrated Mr. Trump who, according to a person familiar with his thoughts, felt stuck by the remarks.
The dissonance left China uncertain of the objectives of the Trump administration and cast a shadow of uncertainty over their negotiations.
"I feel that the administration does not yet have a strategy for China," said Jon B. Alterman, global security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Not only do you see administration officials saying different things, but you feel they're not integrated, especially in the absence of something like the TPP, which was a real long-term strategy to cope with the rise of China. "
On Monday, the Commerce Department began developing new regulations on export controls, defining potential industries to be protected – such as artificial intelligence and quantum robotics – from intellectual property theft by China. In early November, the Department of Justice accused a company owned by the Chinese state of stealing trade secrets from an American technology company. And last month, the Trump administration introduced a more aggressive system of foreign investment controls, utilizing the expanded powers of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
The Trump administration also signed bilateral trade agreements with other countries in order to put pressure on China. Despite the abandonment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the administration is moving forward in negotiations with Japan and the Philippines and officials are planning talks with Vietnam and India.
Critics of China's trade practices were at the center of the explosion at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum this weekend.
At several meetings, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his colleagues opposed a draft final declaration from the forum stating, "We have agreed to fight protectionism, including all unfair trade practices."
Raising his voice, Mr. Wang accused US officials of trying to insert a veiled reference to China, said a US official present. At one point, Chinese officials broke into the office of Papua New Guinea's foreign minister to demand changes.
Only China is opposed to the project. The forum was closed without a 21-nation consensus declaration for the first time since 1989.
"It was really a stupid gesture on the part of the Chinese," said Bonnie S. Glaser, senior advisor for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "I guess we should all conclude that China will do all that is necessary to continue to pursue unfair trade practices."
"And they will also continue to put their personal interests at the expense of multilateral institutions," she added. "And after?"
