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Opinion | How the ‘three Cs’ of competition, confrontation and cooperation are driving the US and China closer to conflict
- Biden’s statements that the US does not seek conflict or want a new cold war with China lack credibility
- Any hope of pursuing a ‘new model of major power relations’ is gone. The world must brace for the worst
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As 2021 draws to a close, Sino-US relations have undergone some scares, rather than outright harm, during the first year of Joe Biden’s presidency despite the tense summit in Alaska and expectations at an all-time low.
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So far, Biden’s top officials have used the “three Cs” to define relations with China, that is, competition, confrontation and cooperation. This is, by and large, a realistic portrait of the current state of relations.
Since the Trump administration began to undermine the bilateral relationship, it has changed beyond recognition in just a few years. The last time the two sides described their relations in a positive tone was in 2012, when they talked of a “new model of major power relations”. That state of affairs is long gone.
As Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during his December 20 address on China’s diplomacy in 2021, China welcomes cooperation, but it should be mutually beneficial; competition is not harmful, but it should be healthy; and, China is not afraid of confrontation but will fight to the finish.
The message cannot be clearer. The world’s second-largest economy will cooperate with, compete with, and confront the No 1 economy on its own terms. Thus, the ongoing trade and tech wars could well linger on and the respective consulates in Houston and Chengdu may well remain closed.
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US consulate in Chengdu shut down in response to closure of China’s diplomatic mission in Houston
US consulate in Chengdu shut down in response to closure of China’s diplomatic mission in Houston
In addition, not only is China’s relationship with the US deteriorating rapidly, relations with the likes of Australia, Canada and Lithuania are also quickly turning frosty.
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