KT edit: The rift between US, China threatens to become a chasm

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The US has not been alone in its wariness about China. A number of countries have expressed concerns about China's expansionist policies in South China sea

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Published: Sun 26 Jul 2020, 12:34 PM

Last updated: Sun 26 Jul 2020, 2:35 PM

In 1972, when US President Richard Nixon met Chinese leader Mao Zedong in Beijing, it opened doors for a political and economic exchange between countries that had no diplomatic ties for nearly 25 years. It also paved the way for China to evolve and develop at a breakneck pace. Today, US-China relations are at their lowest and progressively worsening. The growing distrust is a cause of concern, with the US choosing to respond through tariffs, trade war and the recent order to close Chinese consulates. A growing concern in the US about espionage and increasing usage of Chinese technology has only added fuel to the fire.
The US has not been alone in its wariness about China. A number of countries have expressed concerns about China's expansionist policies in South China sea. The recent land grab along the India-China border has also raised eyebrows in the international community. The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent visit to Europe to seek an "alliance of democracies" to provide a counter to China might prove to be an exercise in futility, given that the Trump administration was the one to withdraw from a host of European alliances in the first place. If China faces a trust deficit in the West, the US isn't winning confidence either. In fact, the world's oldest democracy finds itself alienated from its traditional allies because of its 'America First' rhetoric and an anti-China sentiment that borders on paranoia. In addition, its trade war with China has left little room for any dialogue. 
We can ill-afford a cold war between two of the world's biggest economies at a time when a pandemic has not only claimed millions of lives, but has also brought economies around the world to a standstill. It doesn't bode well for anyone.
 


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