SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 29 March 2024, Friday |

Blinken to say China strategy is about rules-based order, not ‘new Cold War’

The United States does not intend to isolate China from the global economy, but rather wants Beijing to follow international standards, according to a long-awaited speech by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday.

“This is not the start of a new Cold War. This is not about categorizing the world into strict ideological categories “In advance of the speech outlining the US strategy to cope with China’s ascent as a great power, a senior US administration official told reporters during a briefing call.

“It is about maintaining and, more significantly, rejuvenating international order in a way that respects key values that have supported peace and prosperity for decades,” the source explained.

U.S.-China relations sank to their lowest level in decades under the Trump administration and have soured further under President Joe Biden, who has so far kept up his predecessor’s sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods, but also has pursued closer ties with allies in the Indo-Pacific and beyond to push back on Beijing’s growing influence.

Nonetheless, seventeen months into his administration, Biden has faced criticism from Republicans and some foreign policy watchers for not announcing a formal strategy on China, the world’s second-largest economy and Washington’s main strategic rival.

Foreign crises, like as the bungled departure of the United States from Afghanistan last year and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, have provided diversions for Biden, who has promised not to allow China overtake the United States as the world’s leader on his watch.

Blinken’s address comes as China’s foreign minister begins a comprehensive tour of Pacific island countries, an increasingly tense front in the fight for influence between Beijing and Washington and its allies.

    Source:
  • Reuters