The world has not yet recovered from the shock of the sudden Chinese mediation between Riyadh and Tehran. Honduras announced its recognition of China and withdrew its recognition of Taiwan. In her justification, she said that Taiwan had twice refused a request for assistance. The official spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the number of countries recognizing China reached 181 countries. On the other hand, the number of countries recognizing Taiwan decreased to 13. Paraguay is expected to withdraw its recognition of Taiwan, if the opposition candidate succeeds in the upcoming elections, at the end of next April.
The Honduran move is bound to add to Washington’s confusion. It is located within a pebble throw of it, specifically in its back garden. Before Honduras, Panama, El Salvador, and Nicaragua recognized China; Does this not mean that Washington’s policy, in its endeavor to clip China’s wings, and prevent it from flying outside the borders, needs to be reviewed?
Chinese President Xi Jinping began, in the past few days, his third term, celebrating the success of Chinese diplomacy in reopening the bridges of relations between Saudi Arabia and Tehran. A political achievement that Washington could not deny. The recognition came from the words of its foreign minister, Anthony Blinken, in response to a question, during a press conference held recently, in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Chinese foreign policy, to the surprise of many, has witnessed a quantum leap in its dealings with the countries of the Middle East. Accordingly, it transformed from an oil-importing country into an active and active country in its policies.
The change we are witnessing in the course of US foreign policy towards China recently is becoming increasingly hostile, day after day, and stems from the threat that the latter poses to America’s interests. This change was initiated by former President Donald Trump by declaring a protectionist trade war against Chinese products, and continued by the administration of the current President, Joe Biden, and expanded to include imposing a ban on the export of high-tech American products, specifically electronic chips. This has recently motivated China to adopt a new policy that seeks to achieve technological self-sufficiency, with the aim of breaking the US containment cordon. It is not surprising that the US’s hostile change towards China has broad support, including leaders in both parties. Democratic and Republican, most military leaders, foreign policy institutions, and businessmen’s organizations. There is an American fear that China will emerge as a strategic competitor, not only economically, but also on the international political stage.
The clash of interests between Washington and Beijing is taking place on more than one front. The most obvious and most dangerous of them is Taiwan, where tensions are escalating, and a warning of the possibility of a military confrontation. Followed by the position on the war in Ukraine, and then the competition for world leadership technologically. It is worth noting that China’s tremendous economic development and its transformation into a global economic power is not accompanied, at the same time, by a desire to persuade the countries of the world to adopt the Chinese social and political system of values. As if an existing wall isolates the two. That Chinese separation wall has no place in the capitalist Western system; The economy and the Western liberal system of values and its politically democratic system go hand in hand. There is no one without the other. Perhaps this explains the absence of models of political systems similar to the system in China emerging in the world. Even this will not reduce Washington’s fear of what China could do to the balance of power internationally, by seizing the position of the partner and depriving it of unilateral control. This seems more evident in the assertion of US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, that “China is the only country that seeks to reshape the international system, and has the military, economic, technological and diplomatic ability to achieve this, and that Beijing’s vision will distance us from the global values that perpetuated much of the global progress during the 75 years.” past years. Universal values mean the values of Western liberal philosophy prevailing since the end of World War II. Mr. Blinken asserts that America can win the competition against China; Being able to attract the minds and hearts of the world. And it is correct, in my opinion, because the world’s admiration for Chinese development ends with economic growth, and does not exceed it.
This growing tension between Washington and Beijing prevents them from cooperating on important international issues. For example, but not limited to, cooperation in the problem of climate change. In addition, the justification for protecting national security, by using the policy of banning commercial exports, may lead the two countries to adopt protectionist trade policies. It remains important to stress that stimulating economic competition does not constitute a danger in itself, and may be necessary to achieve development in many fields, provided that it is not accompanied by the adoption of policies that stimulate and call for confrontation.
