They have known each other for almost fifteen years: when Joe Biden was vice-president of Barack Obama and Xi Jinping a rising star of the Chinese Communist Party, the two men shared countless meetings and official trips. But the deal has changed: today they are at the head of two superpowers locked in their rivalry, who lend themselves hegemonic ambitions and defy each other as in the days of the Cold War. And they must meet Monday, November 14 in Bali (Indonesia) for an interview on the eve of the G20 summit.
China is “the only country that wants to reshape the world order” wrote the American president in October in a national security strategy document. This meeting will therefore above all serve to expose “the red lines“which separate them, according to his expression, so that”competition does not degenerate into conflict“because the two men and the two countries disagree on just about everything.
Taiwan: the vigilant United States
Beijing considers that the return of the island of Taiwan to the fold of communist China is not negotiable and that it will be done by force if necessary. Since 1949, however, Taiwan has had its own government and its own institutions.
[ CHINE | TAÏWAN ]
“China’s invasion of Taiwan could happen in the very near future. Therefore, we must be prepared for this. There is a real threat. These are not empty words. – Tsai Ing-wen, President of Taiwan. pic.twitter.com/uo8SQgKT74
— (Little) Think Tank (@L_ThinkTank) November 9, 2022
Taiwan is above all a historical ally of the United States. In the event of an attack, Washington is ready to retaliate. Joe Biden said it four times, he even sent warships on exercise to the area. Rarely has an American president been so aggressive on the subject. But nothing scares Xi Jinping, who knows the weight of symbols and who chooses November 8, the day of the midterm elections in the United States, to appear in military uniform and to officially ask the Chinese army to prepare for war.
Russia, North Korea: China in support
North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and recent missile strikes worry Washington, but China remains firm in its support for Pyongyang. The same way she continues to defend Russia despite the war in Ukraine. She does not want to be forced to choose sides when Joe Biden wants to push her to use his influence to moderate North Korea. And wishes, on the occasion of the G20, to put Russia under pressure, in particular on the export of cereals and fertilizers by the ports of the Black Sea.
Trade and technology: a tussle over semiconductors
Differences also oppose China and the United States on trade and technological issues: China complains that the customs tariffs put in place by Donald Trump are maintained under the Biden presidency. But her main complaint is the severe restrictions imposed last month by the United States on the export of semiconductor technology.
1. You cannot understand the heightened tensions in Taiwan without knowing the crucial issue of the quasi-monopoly of the manufacture of manometry-based semiconductors (< 5nm) by the Taiwanese giant #TSMC.
Why are the USA and China accelerating? #pelosi pic.twitter.com/4FXnwg5ZP4— Carene Tardy (@Carene1984) July 31, 2022
Clearly it is for Washington to prevent China from producing the most advanced computer chips used for military equipment or artificial intelligence.
Human rights: democracy versus autocracy
There are also differences on the question of human rights. It’s nothing new, but the fact that Xi Jinping now has full powers after being dubbed by the party for a third term doesn’t help matters. From the American point of view, the competition between the two countries is also a moral and existential battle between a democracy and an autocracy. Cold War version 2.0 has only just begun.