On the 24. In may, he was: The concept of a “new Cold war”, issued by China’s foreign Minister Wang Yi. China’s Top Diplomat had responded in the margins of the session of the National people’s Congress in Beijing on the increasingly heated accusations from the United States, China is the worldwide spread of the coronavirus pandemic responsible. Wang accused the United States, “lies and conspiracy theories”. In addition to the Corona-Virus verb is also a “political Virus spread in the United States,” scolded Wang in front of journalists.
How rough the already not overly-friendly tone between Washington and Beijing in the Corona-crisis has become, had become, on the other side of the Pacific, at the latest, at the beginning of may. As US President, Donald Trump pulled up in front of the press, audacious historical comparisons: “This is the worst attack we ever had. This is worse than Pearl Harbor. This is worse than the World Trade Center”. In the direction of Beijing, the 75 afterwards, sent-year-old: “It could not have been stopped in China, it was but”.
pandemic as a conflict accelerator
at the beginning of the pandemic optimists had hoped, Corona could move Beijing and Washington to more cooperation. Now The rhethorischen shows: broad sides between China and the United States in the Corona of a crisis are only the latest symptoms of a deeper conflict.
Josef Braml, US expert at the German society for Foreign policy (DGAP) is in the DW-interview: “The pandemic accelerated and amplified existing geo-economic rivalries between the US and China”. Geo-Economics means the following: Economic Power, market power is used for geostrategic purposes. According to the sino-Chinese rivalry for the control of three Currents, analyzed Braml: “trade flows, financial flows, data flows, wherein the data streams are most important”.
point of contention Huawei
This is nowhere more evident than when looking at Huawei. The Chinese group is one of the world’s leading companies for the development of 5G networks. It is at the forefront of the development of the “Internet of things” and networked production in the “industry 4.0”. “Huawei is the global spearhead of China’s innovation and technology policy in China,” says China expert Sebastian Heilmann. “In this respect, Huawei has a very great meaning that goes beyond the company itself. It is quite clear that the U.S. is currently using all means to end the success story of Huawei,” continues the Sinology of Trier.
US Secretary of state Mike Pompeo described the group at the Munich security conference in February as a “Trojan horse of the Chinese secret services”. In the room the suspicion that Huawei could install backdoors in the 5G networks. By the Chinese spies could flock to free access to the data in the heart of the new digital economy.
In March, Richard Grenell to put. The U.S. Ambassador to Germany, warned in a letter to business Minister Peter Altmaier, the United States would cease their cooperation with German intelligence services, should Huawei in Germany on 5G be involved in building.
The most recent salvo in the fight against Huawei Washington fired on 15. May – specifically to the heart of Huawei: The chip production. If somewhere in the world in a factory silicon micro-chips for Huawei is processed, may be used any of the American machines, tools, or other products. Huawei sued in a first reaction, this step endangers its Survival.
On the 21. In may, China’s President Xi Jinping announced a huge investment program: In the next six years, China plans to invest 1.4 trillion US dollars in the development of 5G networks and the development of Artificial intelligence and the technological independence of China.
Thucydides trap
The unprecedented economic and technological catching up of China in the last three decades, the leap from desperately poor developing country to the global economy that has created a constellation, which is associated with the name of Thucydides. Already 2400 years ago the Greek historian described the fateful dynamics, when a rising Power to an established Power meets: The Influence of the rising Power inevitably shifts geopolitical power. Need to be mitigated by wise policy, or discharge in the war.
The American political scientist Graham Allison has cast a sobering glance into the history of the last 500 years. Here, the Professor from Harvard, 16 examples of the rise of a new Power has been studied. Conclusion: In 12 cases, grabbed a “Thucydides trap”, the result was the shedding of blood. In a post from the year 2015 in “The Atlantic,” warns Allison, with a view to China: “The rise of a 5000 year old civilization with 1.3 billion people is not a Problem that you can solve. It is a condition, a chronic condition that must be managed over a Generation!”
conflict of joyful top staff
The current top staff in Washington and Beijing seems hardly ready. To Xi Jinping in 2012, heads of state and party leader was, had oriented China’s politicians to a foreign exchange Deng Xiaoping. The father of China’s Reform and opening – up policy had inculcated his followers to see: “hide your strength, and wait on your time”.
Xi Jinping seem to be China’s time now for come. To the office, he promised the Chinese people, the return to the size of past dynasties, dressed in the image of the “Chinese dream” of the great revival of the Nation. The implementation of this “Chinese dream” is embossed to the inside of an unprecedented wave of persecution against real or perceived opponents of the regime. To the outside, China is acting with growing self-awareness, and military. In the South China sea, for example, American and Chinese war ships near come again and again to be dangerous. In addition to the simmering conflict to the leadership role in the world, holding Sebastian Heilmann, “met with Xi Jinping, the unbridgeable political and ideological differences with China in the forefront”.
In the United States has in turn made Donald Trump before the Corona pandemic, especially in China, responsible for everything that goes wrong in America. Before the presidential election in November, the man in the White house seems to be an increased focus on China as a scapegoat, even to the miserable Management of the Corona-crisis to distract.
both Xi as well as Trump put on the nationalist card, prepares Heilmann concern: “Xi Jinping sees himself fully in the juice and basking in the success of the containment of the pandemic. Donald Trump is under a lot of pressure. And both of them are not willing to make any compromises. The very bad starting points for the conflict management between the USA and China.”
Welcome to the Zero-sum world
A look into the official Thinking of the US Administration allows on 20. May published report: “The strategic approach of the United States to the people’s Republic of China” is titled the 16-page paper. There is talk of a fundamental revaluation of the relationship to China is, of a new realism, from the strategic competition is to Recognise. Specifically, the authors of the adoption leave, the involvement of rivals in international institutions, and global trade would you make to worthy benevolent stakeholders and trusted partners.
Donald Trump is an escalation step further: In an Interview with the TV station Fox News, the President was already thinking in mid-may, according to the fact that the United States could sever the relations with China also. This would save 500 billion dollars, prophesied Trump.
“The familiar Think free trade helps all, the Win-Win idea, which is now turned on its head”, says US expert Braml. “Now applies to: Mutual dependence makes vulnerable. We now live in a Zero-sum world.”
we’ll find the Europeans their place in this world, is still pending. In view of the sino-American polarization could incline the time of the profitable business with both sides in the end. Brexit-Britain has, at least in the case of Huawei, in the meantime, a decision by the end of may, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on his officials to press the portion of the Chinese network equipment supplier in England 5G networks until 2023 to Zero. Washington is like’s.
author: Matthias von Hein
*The post “Corona-fired Chinese-American conflict in the World” is published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
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