The Carnegie Endowment for National Peace recently hosted Dennis Wilder for a virtual fireside chat with host Paul Haenle to examine current challenges in U.S.-China relations and discuss how both countries could stabilize relations and a framework for bilateral competition going forward.
Haenle started the virtual event by introducing Wilder. Wilder is the former director of the White House National Security Council from 2004 to 2005, went on to serve as the National Security Council special assistant to President George W. Bush and senior director of East Asian Affairs from 2005 to 2009, and is a research fellow and managing director for the initiative of U.S. China dialogue on global issues at Georgetown University.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations website, throughout the history of China-U.S relations, a recent event of importance occurred when President Joe Biden authorized the shooting down of a Chinese balloon near the southeastern coast of the U.S., heightening tensions between the two countries. China insisted the balloon had strayed accidentally into America’s airspace and denounced its destruction, with threats of countermeasures. The situation led a planned trip to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to be postponed, exacerbating existing frictions rooted in U.S. support for Taiwan and trade disputes.
Federal Newswire previously reported that relations between the two countries have further deteriorated due to certain remarks by Biden, including his reference to Chinese president Xi Jinping as a ‘dictator,’ and other remarks concerning the Chinese balloon incident. The article says that China was upset by these remarks, claiming “blatant political provocation” on the part of America.
NPR reported that Blinken recently had a critical visit to Beijing with the purpose of defusing escalating U.S.-China tensions. However, despite both parties expressing readiness for dialogue, they demonstrated little flexibility on deeply entrenched disagreements, including trade, Taiwan, South China Sea conflicts, human rights issues and Russia's involvement in Ukraine. However, reportedly Xi suggested progress, hinting at agreements on certain unspecified matters, a development he noted as positive.
Wilder said that the visit was a step in the right direction for China and the U.S., as both countries have shown an interest in mending relations to some extent. China's primary motive for stabilizing relations stemming from increasing economic worries about a potential China-U.S. "decoupling."
The Biden administration has been trying to get Beijing to accept a framework of bilateral competition, while working together to prevent that competition from straying into conflict, as the pillar of its relationship with China. Wilder explains that China hasn't accepted this approach because the notion of competition infers that there will be a "loser" and a "winner."
In addition, the Biden administration has been pushing for "guardrails" to the relationship as a form of crisis management following several incidents of Chinese military aggression. These guardrails would prevent such incidents from veering into direct military conflict between the two countries. Beijing has been reticent to accept these measures given the remarks and actions of the Biden administration against China. Wilder explains that to get China to accept these measures, the Biden administration would need to more convincingly assure China that the U.S. wouldn't actively work against China's interests in the absence of military conflict.
According to the organization's website, the Carnegie Endowment’s objective is to assist nations and organizations in addressing challenging global issues and maintaining peace. It provides ideas and analysis on various issues and operates in 20 countries across the world.
