US-China relations are at an all-time low in the post-Trump era and almost three weeks after his tenure President Biden
Joe BidenDOJ rejects lawsuit against author Melania Trump, Google extends electoral security aid for federal and state campaigns Biden supports House Democrats’ proposed threshold for COVID-19 controls MORE He has not yet spoken with his Beijing counterpart, President Xi Jinping.
Biden promised to take a different approach from China than before President Trump
Donald TrumpDOJ will call for the resignation of the majority of US lawyers appointed by Trump: reports that lawyer Trump withdraws the request not to hold the indictment on Saturday Kinzinger in the GOP senate appeals to condemn Trump in the indictment MORE, who campaigned against China’s trade policies and then blamed Beijing for the coronavirus that devastated the US economy in the year of Trump’s re-election.
“I will not do as Trump did,” Biden said of his approach to Beijing in an interview with CBS on Sunday. “We will focus on international road rules.”
Biden is facing strong pressure to take a hard line on Beijing, with Republicans already telegraphing that it will be an issue in the middle of 2022 – and probably in the 2024 presidential election.
But the president also said he is ready to cooperate with Beijing when it is in the US interest
This includes efforts to defeat COVID-19, tackling climate change, expanding nuclear non-proliferation – in particular bringing Iran back to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal and curbing North Korea’s nuclear threat – and, most recently, restoring democracy in Myanmar after the coup. military state.
Tensions between the two countries are high in the post-Trump era, in part because of the rhetoric of the former president – who has repeatedly called COVID-19 the “China virus”, referring to the fact that the first cases were identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan. . – but also because parliamentarians on both sides criticize Beijing for a number of policies that affect the economy and national security.
Tensions erupted most recently in the South China Sea after Beijing denounced joint exercises by two groups of US carriers, calling it a US attempt to “flex muscles” in the region, which is harming “peace and stability”. .
The comments followed Beijing’s previous frustration with the United States when an American warship sailed near China-controlled islands in the waters, where a number of regional countries made complaints.
The US 7th Fleet said the move was a “freedom of navigation operation”, but the Chinese military accused the US of violating China’s sovereignty and security.
However, Chinese officials have also repeatedly called for “no confrontation, no conflict, mutual respect and win-win cooperation” with the United States.
Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Biden was critical in his foreign policy speech last week against Chinese policies – saying the US leadership must face “China’s ambitions to rival the United States ”- but that the president and his team were in no hurry to commit to Beijing.
“They have other priorities, including coordination with allies and partners,” she wrote in an email to The Hill.
“Meanwhile, the Chinese are sending the message that they are willing to improve bilateral ties, but only if it is in Chinese conditions. There has not yet been a serious conversation between the two countries on how to manage their differences or how to cooperate on issues where they could have one thing in common. ”
Biden said in his interview with CBS on Sunday that there was no reason not to “call Xi” and that the two had “a lot to talk about.”
The president said he was not looking for conflicts between the two nations, but warned that “there will be extreme competition.”
State Secretary Anthony Blink
Antony BlinkenColombia to register thousands of Venezuelan migrants in an attempt to give them legal residence Hill’s report 12:30: Senate prepares for indictment to start Biden administration announces plans to join UN Human Rights Council MORE He is by far the highest-ranking US official to speak to the Chinese in a call last week with senior Chinese Communist Party official and diplomat Yang Jiechi.
The conversation focused largely on conflicting aspects of the relationship, with the secretary raising the issue of human rights abuses in Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang. On the latter issue, the secretary joined the Trump administration on its decision that China be committing genocide against Muslim Uighurs and other ethnic groups.
Blinken also pressured China to condemn the military coup in Myanmar.
So far, Beijing has refrained from calling for a military coup, although it has joined a UN Security Council statement calling for the restoration of democratic governance in the country and the release of democratically elected detained government officials.
Both Blinken and the national security adviser Jake Sullivan
Jake Sullivan Overnight Defense: Biden Announces Cessation of US Support for Offensive Operations in Yemen | The Pentagon orders the wearing of the mask inside and out COVID military deaths rise Biden: US takes “urgent” steps to improve cybersecurity Biden condemns Russia’s Navalni prison MORE, who did not speak to any Chinese officials, had calls with allies in Europe and Asia about facing threats from China.
Sullivan had said earlier that it was a priority to be on the same page with allies about relations with Beijing during an event with the US Peace Institute last month.
“I think China is right at the top of the list of things we need to work on together and where we have to work to fully align,” he said.
Sullivan also said the United States must be prepared to impose costs on Beijing in connection with human rights violations, but did not detail those measures.
However, Republicans are laying the groundwork for stronger pressure on Biden to get tough with Beijing. They are particularly critical of China’s influence in the World Health Organization.
Biden joined the global body on his first day in office, reversing Trump’s withdrawal from the organization in July because of criticism he did not face of Beijing over the spread of COVID-19.
Sense. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) And Josh Hawley
Joshua (Josh) David Hawley Overnight Defense: Pentagon says extremist groups “recruit very aggressively” troops | Capitol Guard deployment estimated at 3M | No US fighting dead in Afghanistan in a year VA Secretary Confirms Senate Confirms Denis McDonough to Lead VA Under Biden GOP Prosecution “Prisoner’s Dilemma” MORE (R-Mo.) He faced the criticism on Tuesday, introducing legislation aimed at withholding US funds from the WHO. Their statement followed the launch of a WHO investigation which they criticized for not addressing Beijing’s role in spreading the virus.
“WHO’s mission is to provide public health information to the world so that every country can make the best decisions to keep its citizens safe,” Scott said in a statement. “WHO has not only failed in its mission, but it has failed in the world when it comes to coronavirus. They served as a puppet for the Chinese Communist Party – keeping misinformation and helping communist China cover a global pandemic. “
The introduction of the bill coincided with the launch by the WHO of the preliminary findings of an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 in China, which found that the disease is “most likely” of animal origin before passing to humans, although it did not. evaluated the shortcomings of the answer.
Hawley, who is considered a potential presidential candidate in 2024, criticized the WHO for prioritizing “the interests of the Chinese Communist Party over building a healthier world.”
It is. Tom Cotton
Tom Bryant Cotton Overnight Defense: Pentagon says extremist groups “recruit very aggressively” troops | Capitol Guard deployment estimated at 3M | No US fighting dead in Afghanistan in a year VA Secretary Confirms Senate Confirms Denis McDonough to Lead VA Under Biden GOP Prosecution “Prisoner’s Dilemma” MORE (R-Ark.), Also a potential presidential candidate, sent on Twitter in response to the investigation that “[for] more than a year ago, Chinese Communist Party apologists at [the WHO] they tried to trace the origins of the coronavirus. ”
Former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley
Nikki HaleyBiden administration announces plans to join UN human rights council US to join UN human rights council: report 5 lawyers leave Trump’s removal team before trial: report MORE, another possible Republican presidential candidate, also criticized the WHO inquiry, tweeting that it should have focused on “when China knew” about the coronavirus “and why they kept it from the rest of the world …”
It is. Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin GrahamDOJ will call for the resignation of most US lawyers appointed by Trump: the report of the Parliament blames Trump for the riots, while the second dismissal process lights up on Sunday – The Trump removal process, the stimulus dominates MORE (RS.C.), in an interview with CBS Meet the Press on Sunday, warned against Biden’s elimination of Trump’s wholesale foreign policies, including those related to China.
“I would slow down if I were President Biden and reevaluate some of these Trump policies and keep them in place if they make sense,” he said.