‘Partners, not rivals’

Biden administration’s ban on semiconductor exports is pushing them to the brink

There has been another tête-à-tête between the US and China. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s second consecutive visit to Beijing, in less than a year, is a positive development, indeed. It underscores the need for sharing notes at the highest level, and also to lay on the table a paradigm of conflicting views. This is a preferred module than talking through the media, and upping the ante. At a time when both Washington and Beijing are in a fix over the war in Ukraine, and China’s alignment with Russia is acting as a strategic impediment, there is much that can go wrong if the respective leadership is not on talking terms. Likewise, the growing trade imbalance and the un-competitiveness that the US industry suffers are pushing them into an irresistible confrontation on world markets. Last but not least, the Biden administration’s ban on semiconductor exports and the tug-of-war over the TikTok monopoly of Chinese owners are pushing them to the brink.

This is why, perhaps, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi opted for some polite dressing down of his counterpart, as he warned Blinken of a downward spiral, if the US continued to pressurise China on petty issues on the geopolitical premise. That squarely means Taiwan and the Straits of South China are no-go areas for the US, and any kind of meddling or overt operations will not be tolerated by China. On the other hand, there was an unannounced consensus to opt for a common denominator in scaling down tensions in the heartland of Europe, and to lower tensions in other flashpoints of the world, especially the Mideast. In the trade war domain, the best way out is to leave the canvas open for market forces to determine the potential for their products, and to keep it free from protectionism and politics.

President Xi Jinping exhibited statesmanship as he told Blinken, while meeting him for the second time, to work as ‘partners’ and not ‘rivals.’ This has come with an agreement to keep the chessboard of intricate talks open, and not to shut the door on the face. This synopsis deserves a serious thought.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2024.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.