Relations between the USA and China: enemy images and many differences

A meeting of high-ranking diplomats from the USA and China did not ease the relationship between the two sides. Washington laments human rights violations and cyberattacks. The People’s Republic suspects a campaign to harm her.

There are no signs of a solution in the tense relationship between the United States and China following the visit of US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman’s visit to the People’s Republic. The US wanted to stylize China as an “imaginary enemy” in order to divert attention from domestic political problems, said Chinese-US Foreign Minister Xie Feng: “Sino-US relations are at a standstill and face serious difficulties,” the state media quoted him as saying.

Sherman himself spoke of a “frank and frank” discussion after the four-hour meeting. In a telephone interview after her talks with Xie and the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, she replied that as a world power one must also take responsibility on a global level, apart from certain differences. She called for cooperation on climate policy and in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

“Concerns about a number of actions”

Sherman also expressed concern about several issues at the meeting, the State Department said. She has “raised concerns about a number of actions by the People’s Republic of China that run counter to our values ​​and interests, as well as those of our allies and partners, and which undermine the international, rules-based order,” the State Department said in a statement.

These included “Beijing’s anti-democratic crackdown in Hong Kong”, “the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity” in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, as well as Beijing’s behavior in cyberspace and restrictions on the freedom of the press. Sherman has also emphasized her concern about China’s lack of cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the search for the origin of the coronavirus, according to the spokesman for the US State Department, Ned Price.

Request for cooperation on climate protection

China, on the other hand, has stated several times that the US cannot expect any cooperation while trying to slow down China’s rise. The State Department in Beijing said China had “expressly asked the US to change course and correct its mistakes,” said Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian. Despite all the disputes, the talks were very in-depth and open, said Zhao.

He confirmed that the US had asked China to cooperate on climate protection and in the nuclear conflicts with Iran and North Korea. For its part, the Chinese side has expressed clear displeasure with Washington’s position on the search for the origins of the coronavirus as well as China’s behavior towards Taiwan, the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang and the democracy movement in Hong Kong, said Zhao.

China laments US campaign against itself

China called on the US to end its policy of “demonizing” and promoting the people’s republic. “We call on the United States to change its highly misguided way of thinking and dangerous policies,” said Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Feng. It appears that a campaign is underway to bring China down.

China has submitted a long list of demands to the US delegation, including the removal of visa restrictions for members of the ruling Communist Party. Washington should also leave Chinese companies, students and the media alone and withdraw the extradition request for Huawei manager Meng Wanzhou, who is being held in Canada, said Zhao.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in an interview at the weekend that if the US cannot regard other countries as equals, they have to be taught that.

Biden maintains pressure

The two largest economies in the world have numerous conflicts with one another. They argue not only about trade and competition issues and human rights. Most recently, possible cyberattacks had also put a strain on the relationship that the US government suspected of being the People’s Republic. Relations between the two countries had deteriorated significantly under the former US President Donald Trump. The Biden government has kept pressure on China.

As expected, concrete results were therefore not agreed at the meeting. A possible summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden was also not discussed, the US said. A possible meeting between Biden and Xi Jinping could possibly take place on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Rome in late October.

As a precautionary measure because of the pandemic, the talks were not held in Beijing, but in the city of Tianjin, 130 kilometers from the capital.