Relations between the US and China are on a “dangerous” path, with “no trust” in either side, a political commentator told CNBC.
Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale University’s Paul Tsai China Center, believes Beijing sees Washington as a “main enemy” and that the US is trying to cut off China’s path. said.
“Now there is no trust,” he said.squawk box asiaHe is currently attending the China Development Forum in Beijing.
William Cohen, who served as secretary of defense under Clinton, also emphasized similar sentiments, saying the dispute between the two sides had reached “dangerous” levels.
Cohen, the current chairman and CEO of the Cohen Group, said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” that “there are two great powers competing and nuclear weapons in the hands of both powers. I think it’s very dangerous,” he said. on monday.
early March, China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang, He said relations with the United States had followed a “reasonable path” and warned of conflict if Washington “does not step on the brakes.”
US-China tensions rise
Tensions between the United States and China have escalated for years, from trade and tariffs to technological competition to alleged espionage.
More recently, things escalated again after the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon.This triggered Secretary of State Anthony Blinken cancels trip to Beijing About what happened last month.
“The balloon was the spark that sent us plummeting downhill,” added Roach. “If balloons can quickly derail this relationship, it shows how hurt and mistrusted both countries are in this relationship.”
China and the United States have also squabbled on other controversial issues.
Washington was “very concerned China Considers Providing Deadly AidIssues over Taiwan have also angered China, with Beijing consistently warning: Taiwan is the ‘first red line’ it must not be exceeded.
If balloons can quickly derail this relationship, it shows how hurt and distrustful both countries are in this relationship.
Stephen Roach
Yale University Senior Fellow
“I was in China for just five days, and the story here is a mirror image of what you pick up in the United States,” Roach said. there is
He added: “I will return to the United States tonight and hear the exact opposite – the United States has a problem with China.
Concerns about Tik Tok
CEO of China-owned social media app last week TikTok, spent hours testifying To US lawmakers who wanted to know if US data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government.
Roach said there was “a lot of discussion” on the issue at the China Development Forum.
“The video of that appearance really went viral,” he noted. “That’s really what I say to the Chinese experts, officials and business people I spoke to at the conference. [forum] Very aggressive and made them very worried. “
Historically, the rise of two competing powers often led to conflict “most of the time,” Cohen warned.
According to him, Beijing is rapidly becoming a global economic powerhouse and competes closely with Washington on several fronts.
China “has amassed an astonishing amount of weapons that it has developed in a very short period of time. I think the Chinese economy is doing very well around the world,” Cohen said.
The relationship “will become increasingly difficult,” he noted, emphasizing that both sides need to be involved to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations.
visit to taiwan
Tensions may then rise again taiwan presidential office Last week, Tsai Ing-wen confirmed that she will be transiting through New York and Los Angeles at the end of March while visiting Guatemala and Belize.The office did not provide details of her itinerary while she was in the United States.
As for Taiwan, China has repeatedly stated that the issue is an internal affair. Beijing claims the autonomous islands are part of its territory and claims Taiwan has no right to conduct diplomatic relations.
The Biden administration was keen to downplay the Taiwanese president’s passage, saying it was “not uncommon.”
“President Tsai has done this six times. Every Taiwanese president in recent memory has done it,” said White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. press conference last week.
“There is no reason for China to overreact. It’s formal and informal,” he added.
Roach said the two countries were “just as guilty and mismanaging relations”.Washington needs to understand its intentions against Beijing, he added.
“How far are we ready to go?” he asked. “If there was ever a time to focus on resolving a dysfunctional relationship, it’s now,” Roach said.
