AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Washington calls Beijing the main enemy, Chinese officials accuse Americans of provoking direct confrontation.
In recent months, since the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China, everyone with little interest in politics must have concluded that relations between Washington and Beijing have sharply deteriorated. The statements of high-ranking officials on both sides, additional U.S. sanctions against China and some actions by U.S. lawmakers testify to this. The U.S. National Security Doctrine last year called China a strategic (the only one capable of challenging) adversary. But the projection of this definition at the highest levels of the U.S. establishment is impressive, showing a deep hatred that reaches the point of hysteria. How, China dares to challenge? Then it must not only be contained, but destroyed. At the very least, destroy its ability to resist America.
"Communist China is the strongest and most disciplined enemy we have ever faced," said Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. - Never in my life did I think Americans would look up into the sky and see a Chinese spy balloon looking at us. It was a national embarrassment. I can't believe Joe Biden is letting China get away with it. Chinese companies now own more than 380,000 acres (1,538 square kilometers - Auth.) of American land, some right next to our military bases. We must never allow the enemy to buy land in our country.
The definition of "enemy" in relation to China is increasingly common in the American political lexicon. The Chinese threat is seen not only in China's high-tech companies, but literally in everything Chinese that, for obvious reasons, surrounds Americans.
From the latest news. The U.S. Congress passed a special resolution to investigate ... Chinese port and storage cranes. It is strongly suspected in the U.S. that they not only monitor all U.S. trade, but already almost control it.
This hysteria, however, mirrors the views of the American electorate. According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans continue to view China as the greatest enemy of the United States for the third year in a row. Today more than 50% of Americans said that China is their country's worst enemy. Only 32%, however, put Russia in first place.
Interestingly, the North Korea, which held the palm of power among U.S. antagonists (for example, in 2018 the DPRK was considered the main enemy by 51% of Americans), is now disliked by only 7% of Americans.
But in China, which for many decades has avoided direct, even verbal confrontation with the United States, apparently realized that the conflict cannot be avoided and it is better to prepare for it and prepare the population. And during the main political event of the year in China - a session of the National People's Congress - we heard unusually harsh statements. Moreover, they do not use the definitions typical of the diplomatic Chinese like "the countries concerned," but refer directly to the United States.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang frankly warned of a clash with the United States if Washington did not stop its efforts to contain Beijing, stressing the Chinese Communist Party's concern about escalating tensions between the rival superpowers. "If the United States does not hit the brakes, but continues to speed down the wrong path, no amount of guardrails can prevent derailing, and there will surely be conflict and confrontation," Qin Gang said. - What is the point of making loud statements about respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity in the issue of Ukraine, but then not respecting China's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the issue of Taiwan? Why, on the one hand, do they demand that China should not provide weapons to Russia, and on the other hand, sell weapons to Taiwan in long-term violation of the joint communiqués?"
There is also a reference to Russia: "Thanks to China and Russia joining forces, the movement toward a multipolar world and a more democratic international system has gained momentum, and global strategic balance and stability have gained a guarantor. The more turbulent the world becomes, the more China-Russia relations must move forward."
The fact that this was not an impromptu speech by the minister, but a new vision of foreign policy is evidenced by the words of the newly reconfirmed as Chairman of the CPC, Xi Jinping, addressed to the delegates: "The Western countries, led by the United States, are carrying out a comprehensive containment, encirclement and suppression of us." Chairman Xi, in his usual diplomatic manner, confined himself to this. Or maybe we don't know everything he said on this subject. But a number of principal decisions adopted by the National People's Congress indicate that China is about to undergo profound reforms. Not the least of their objectives: to concentrate power, rebuild the economy and the financial sphere in the face of the beginning global confrontation with the United States.
Of course, Minister Qin Gang makes a diplomatic curtsey toward the United States: "What should define China-U.S. relations are common interests, shared responsibility, and friendship between our peoples, but not the domestic politics of the United States and the hysterical new McCarthyism." Indeed, China is ready to reduce the heat of passion and not to move from peaceful competition to confrontation.
But the answer is contained in the words of Michael Gallagher, head of the newly created U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Existing Threat (Chinese). It is no longer a question of some kind of containment, but of "an existential struggle over what life will look like in the twenty-first century."
In fact, he is right. Conflict is inevitable on ideological grounds as well. The problem is to prevent the entire human civilization from perishing in this confrontation.