Therefore, the US and China must become "friends" again

 

Wolfgang Hansson  

 

Therefore, it is important that the US and China become "friends"  

 

Published: Yesterday 19.51  

 

This is a commenting text. Analysis and positions are the writer's.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Photo: Leah Millis/AP 

 

COLUMNISTS  

 

Although no concrete results came out of the meeting between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping, it must be seen as a clear success. At best, the beginning of a turnaround.  

 

It is important for the world that China and the US deviate from the total collision course they are on.  

 

The fact that it has become so tense between the current superpower and the one that wants to take over is due to China increasingly taking a place in world politics and becoming increasingly dictatorial, which the US and the Western world look at with concern. 

 

The West fears that China, together with Russia, wants to establish a new world order with completely different rules of the game than those that apply under the current one.  

 

The old great power resists while the new one is constantly trying to expand its territory in an increasingly aggressive way. 

 

For a number of years, the two sides have barely been able to speak to each other. Bilateral relations have been almost frozen.  

 

Blinken was actually supposed to have traveled to China already in February, but that time the trip was canceled at short notice after President Biden gave orders to shoot down what is claimed to be a Chinese spy balloon over the United States.  

 

The countries have since exchanged harsh words remotely regarding China's support for Russia's war in Ukraine, China's attempts to militarily pressure Taiwan, and incidents at sea and in the air in the South China Sea where US and Chinese military vessels have come perilously close to colliding with each other.  

The spy balloon, before it was shot down. Photo: Larry Mayer/AP  

 

That the trip now ended and that Blinken got to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping must be interpreted as an attempt by China to mark that it wants to bury the sharpest parts of the hatchet.  

 

The USA is the one that has sought contact in recent months but has been turned away. 

 

Aside from the fact that a war between the two countries would be devastating in many ways, there are a number of reasons why the world would benefit from open channels of communication and a lower level of conflict between the US and China.  

 

The climate threat 

 

Together, the two countries account for around 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Any successful strategy to reduce emissions before it is too late requires the two countries not only to cooperate but to take a leadership role. Instead of blaming each other. 

 

Patients are examined at a hospital in Jinyintan during the beginning of the covid pandemic. Photo: AP  

 

The next pandemic  

 

The Covid pandemic originated in China. We still don't know for sure how it came about. A better climate between the US and China could lead to a more open attitude from China when it comes to sharing data about the origin of the virus. That, in turn, could help the world prevent the next pandemic.  

Stable world economy 

 

The two countries account for a large part of world trade. Both are extremely important for the stability of the world economy. Former US President Donald Trump started a trade war against China where he imposed a series of tariffs on Chinese goods. Biden, for fear of being seen at home as soft on China, has largely continued on the same line.  

 

A lower level of conflict can lead to less strain on the world economy and reduce the risk of a global recession.  

 

During his visit, Blinken assured that the US's goal is not to disconnect completely from China's economy. Just to reduce its dependence on certain imports from China.  

 

But even if the harsh rhetoric between China and the US is subdued, it cannot hide the fact that there are issues on which there is deep disagreement and that these continue to pose a danger to world peace. 

 

US Navy image of a Chinese ship making an "unsafe maneuver" in the strait between Taiwan and China. Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Andre T. Richard/AP  

 

Taiwan 

 

China clearly declared during the meeting that there is no compromise on Taiwan. This clearly means that Beijing intends to carry out a "reunification" with the self-governing island nation. By military means if necessary.  

 

At the same time, President Biden has assured that the United States will defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.  

 

The best the world can hope for is that the confrontation is postponed so far in time that China's position has time to change. 

 

A new world order  

 

China continues to promise not to send military weapons to Russia, but there is no doubt that China supports Russia in the war against Ukraine. This is because China needs Putin's help to overthrow the liberal world order and replace it with something that suits authoritarian leaders like Xi better.  

 

The meeting between Xi and Blinken did not resolve any issues but shows that both sides realize it is time to tone down the tone before things get out of hand.