Advertisement
Opinion | For all the Bali optimism, the US and China are only digging their heels in
- Even as they work to avert a head-on collision, neither side has any illusion about where the other stands
- Biden and his administration seem determined to fight it out with China in this ‘decisive decade’ and get their allies onside
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
A warm handshake in front of the cameras, followed by a three-hour simultaneously interpreted session termed “in-depth, candid and constructive” by the Chinese side, after which US President Joe Biden said there was no immediate prospect of Beijing retaking Taiwan by force and no need for a new cold war.
Advertisement
Biden’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali, Indonesia, ahead of the G20 summit last week, was their first face-to-face meeting since Biden moved into the Oval Office. It seems to have served the purpose declared by the American side: to build “a floor” for the bilateral relationship, that is, to arrest its free fall into a state of war.
So, all good it seems. However, one needs to be aware of just how slim the margin is for relief and optimism. This is despite subsequent developments such as reaching a G20 Declaration – to the surprise of many – in which Russia was condemned, albeit not without terminological engineering, for the war in Ukraine.
That Beijing chose not to obstruct the manifesto, and Moscow acquiesced, encourages many to see a rosy picture ahead, even to the extent of contemplating a scenario where China abandons Russia in exchange for Washington’s good faith, amid its mounting domestic and international problems. My fear is that such sanguine thoughts may soon be frustrated.
When China’s monumental 20th party congress convened last month and the new ruling team – the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee – debuted in Beijing, the world knew that the rising superpower was going down the same path it had trodden for the past 10 years under Xi’s leadership – the party’s general secretary was set to lead China for the next five years, and possibly beyond.
Advertisement
Advertisement