The US's restrictions on advanced technology exports to China come against the backdrop of growing evidence of an increasingly “aggressive” Chinese posture and analysis of how China might use these measures to “blackmail” its neighbours, a senior US diplomat said on Thursday.
“We have to be prepared for these technologies to be militarized. We have no intention of being number two,” U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said in a speech at the Asia Society in New York.
Washington's response to Beijing also includes restrictions on advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence processors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and even some laptops.
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The administration of President Joe Biden, who has vowed to review the steep import tariffs and export restrictions introduced by former US President Donald Trump that sparked a bilateral trade war, is doubling down on such measures.
Burns cited China's construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea and its territorial disputes with Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Malaysia and Brunei as the basis for Washington's analysis.
“We are concerned about China's coercion by its neighbors in the South China Sea and East China Sea,” Burns said, adding that it is not always easy to decipher the motivations behind Beijing's assertive policies or what might come next.
“I don't have a crystal ball, but we have seen consistent aggression.”
The career diplomat, who has served on the National Security Council and NATO, said China's foreign policy is increasingly angering the United States, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, India and Southeast Asian countries simultaneously.
Burns added that the pattern raises questions about Beijing's willingness to anger so many foreign nations against its own interests.
“I can't speak for the Chinese government,” he said. “China, at least, seems very confident in its own power.”
Burns believes the days when Washington and other countries could influence Chinese decision-making and encourage Beijing to join the World Trade Organization and become a “responsible stakeholder” are a distant memory.
Burns (left) said on Thursday at the Asia Society in New York that the United States currently has little influence over Chinese decision-making. Photo: SCMP alt=Burns (left) said on Thursday at the Asia Society in New York that the United States currently has little influence over Chinese decision-making. Photo: SCMP>
He added that until the early 2000s, China was willing to cooperate with the United States on issues such as sanctions against Iran, opposition to North Korea's nuclear tests and helping to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan.
“We're past that point,” Burns said. “We didn't change. China changed.”
Among the Chinese policies the envoy deemed “harmful” were exports by Chinese companies to support Russia's industrial base amid the country's war with Ukraine.
The armed conflict, now in its third year, has drawn closer ties between the United States and Europe, leading Washington to impose sanctions on about 20 Chinese companies last month.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“China is increasingly becoming a factory for the Russian war machine,” National Security Council member Daleep Singh said in a separate speech Thursday at the Center for a New American Security in Washington.
“The entire Russian economy has to be considered off-limits in terms of facilitating the flow of materials that could appear on the battlefield and be to Russia's advantage,” Singh added.
Firefighters work at the scene of a shopping centre that was hit by Russian forces in Kherson, Ukraine, on Thursday. Photo: Courtesy of Reuters alt=Firefighters work at the scene of a shopping centre that was hit by Russian forces in Kherson, Ukraine, on Thursday. Photo: Courtesy of Reuters>
There are also concerns over Burns' allegations that China is “dumping” large quantities of solar panels, lithium batteries, cars and other products into overseas markets.
Critics say the practice of selling goods below market price is intended to crowd out foreign competitors.
Burns said Beijing's increasingly assertive policies are persuading more countries to build or strengthen strategic ties with the United States.
He noted Japan's decision to double its defense budget and the intention of Britain and some European countries to play a more active role in the Indo-Pacific region.
He said China often talks about its “core interests” but the United States has its own interests that it will not compromise, including support for Europe, treaty obligations with allies such as Japan and the Philippines, and support for human rights and freedom of speech.
But Burns also stressed the importance of diplomacy and communication amid rising tensions between the two countries.
“Looking to the future, it's important that we do everything we can to reduce the possibility and probability of conflict,” he said. “Conflict would have devastating consequences for the entire world. That's why militaries have to consult with each other.”
“Despite our differences, we have to talk to each other,” he added, noting that some positive developments arising from U.S.-China competition are likely to continue into the next decade. “That's what diplomacy is all about.”
In the aftermath of the summit between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in California last November, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun met in Singapore last week.
This was the first face-to-face meeting between the two countries' defense chiefs in two years.
The two sides have also begun discussions about AI and Chinese-made chemical precursors used to make fentanyl, a leading cause of death among young Americans.
Moreover, although the number of Americans studying in China is still small — only 850 compared with the roughly 300,000 Chinese studying in the United States — relations between the peoples are slowly improving.
“This summit puts our relationship on a more stable footing,” US Vice National Security Advisor John Finer said separately at the CNAS event.
“But over the last 12 to 18 months, we have never let up on our competitive actions against China,” Finer added.
When Burns was at the Asia Society meeting, two protesters stood up, one after the other, to criticize the Biden administration's policies as amounting to a “two-front war” against Russia and China. They were ejected.
Responding to their comments, Burns said the United States makes mistakes but, unlike other countries, allows its people to speak up and question their leaders.
Additional reporting by Bochen Han in Washington
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