The rift between US, China threatens to become a chasm

In 1972, when US President Richard Nixon met Chinese leader Mao Zedong in Beijing, it opened doors for a political and economic exchange between countries that had no diplomatic ties for nearly 25 years. It also paved the way for China to evolve and develop at a breakneck pace. Today, US-China relations are at their lowest and progressively worsening. The growing distrust is a cause of concern with the US choosing to respond through tariffs, trade war and the recent order to close Chinese consulates. A growing concern in the US about espionage and increasing usage of Chinese technology has only added fuel to the fire. The relations could well remain tense this year, or until the US presidential elections in November. It is shock and awe strategy of the US president that has worked well in the past, and could benefit President Trump now too. Senior US cabinet members have joined President Trump in antiChina speeches. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday suggested that engagement with China, may have been well intentioned, but naive.

The US has not been alone in its wariness about China. A number of countries have expressed concerns about China’s expansionist policies in South China sea. The recent land grab along the border with India has also raised eyebrows in the international community. The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent visit to Europe to seek an “alliance of democracies” to provide a counter to China might prove to be an exercise in futility, given that the Trump administration was the one to withdraw from a host of European alliances in the first place. If China faces a trust deficit in the West, the US isn’t winning confidence either. In fact, the world’s oldest democracy finds itself alienated from its traditional allies because of its ‘America First’ rhetoric and an anti-China sentiment that borders on paranoia. In addition, its trade war with China has left little room for any dialogue.

The world is at a critical juncture. We are hit by a pandemic that is staking claim at more and more lives across the world. Millions have been infected, and hundreds are dying every day. There is no recourse until we find a vaccine and every one of the over seven billion people on the planet are vaccinated. The economies are taking a toll, and the world’s two biggest economies are drifting towards a cold war. It doesn’t bode well for anyone.

The US has not been alone in its wariness about China. A number of countries have expressed concerns about China’s expansionist policies in South China sea.