BEIJING – The United States is unlikely to take its eye off strategic competition with China, despite Washington’s preoccupation with the wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine, say analysts.
Demonstrating the US’ twin priorities this week, US President Joe Biden requested emergency funds for military aid to its allies and for border security, days after the White House said it would curb the export of advanced artificial intelligence chips to China.
The Ukraine war and the Middle East crisis notwithstanding, it is “impossible” that Americans would take their eyes off US-China relations, said Professor Zhu Feng, executive dean of the School of International Studies at Nanjing University.
He expects the US to maintain its strategic competition and policies aimed at containing China, which the US considers its most significant competitor.
Mr Biden on Thursday made a rare speech from the Oval Office after a whirlwind visit to Israel the day before.
Focusing largely on recent events in Gaza and the Ukraine war that is going into its second year, he said America, as “the essential nation”, cannot walk away from supporting its partners and allies in the war.
US officials expect that he will ask for US$100 billion (S$137 billion) over the next year for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, and security along the porous US border with Mexico.
Shortly before Mr Biden’s speech on Thursday, the Pentagon released a report saying that China will probably have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.
Beijing countered that the report was full of prejudice and distorted facts, adding that China has no intention of engaging in a nuclear arms race.
“As long as any country does not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against China, it will not be threatened by China’s nuclear weapons,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning at a regular press briefing on Friday.
Earlier this week, the US also announced a ban on exports of advanced AI chips to China,to stop the Chinese government from advancing its military. This has resulted in a run on such chips in China, and could have a spillover effect of halting AI development in China’s private sector.
The likelihood that the US will be aiding Taiwan out of the package Mr Biden will request from Congress will further strain ties with Beijing.
Professor Shi Yinhong, director of the Centre on American Studies at Renmin University, noted that cross-strait tensions are already high after the White House announced some US$345 million in military aid in July.
Over two days in August following the July announcement, six Chinese warships and 33 military aircraft appeared around Taiwan, with six crossing the median line.
Prof Shi believes that any fresh finance injections from the US could substantially increase Taiwan’s combat capability.
Assistant Professor Dylan Loh of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) noted the increased communication between Mr Biden and President Xi Jinping, and the possibility of a meeting between them next month.
“All of these signals sent from both sides are merely to ensure that they can still co-exist, put a floor to their relationship, with hopes that the competition will not spill into confrontation or conflict,” said Prof Loh, who is from NTU’s Public Policy and Global Affairs division.
Still, the US-China relationship will continue to be characterised by intense and deep competition, he said.
Pointing to the geopolitical influence wielded by the US and China, Prof Zhu said that while strategic competition between both nations is unlikely to change, it would benefit the world if both sides worked together.
On Thursday, China’s special Middle East envoy, Mr Zhai Jun, kicked off his tour of the region to help de-escalate the Gaza crisis.
On the same day, Chinese President Xi called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as he met Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in Beijing.
He said that China is willing to work with Cairo and other Arab countries for a “lasting solution” to the Palestinian issue.
But US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said Beijing’s stance on Hamas remains a point of contention between the two superpowers – the US has expressed strong support for Israel, while China has expressed support for the Palestinian cause and not condemned Hamas.
Beijing has also refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has irked the US and its Western allies.
Prof Zhu said: “The question is, can the Ukraine issue and the new Middle East conflicts be effectively resolved and contained without China’s support?
“The challenge for US-China relations is still how to compete and cooperate at the same time.”
