By Daniel DePetris
The world, we are often told, is now defined by great power competition, where states like China and Russia are either seeking to overthrow the so-called rules-based international order or stealthily working within the system to change it to their benefit.
The Biden administration’s foreign policy strategy is prefaced in large measure on the great power paradigm, and senior U.S. officials like Secretary of State Antony Blinken frequently invoke the theme during their remarks.
Part of maintaining healthy great power relations, however, is ensuring states like the U.S., China and Russia communicate with one another. The diverging policies, conflicting world views and multiple grievances may not be resolved, but the tension and misunderstandings can at least be mitigated.
Unfortunately, this communication is breaking down — and what’s worse, the parties don’t seem especially concerned about it. The U.S., China and Russia are all contributing to the complications in their own way.
Take the U.S.-China relationship, arguably the most important on the planet. With both countries comprising approximately more than 40% of the world’s wealth and over half of its total military expenditure, a hypothetical conflict between these two powers would cause catastrophic material and economic damage in terms of lost lives. It’s a primary reason why President Joe Biden has been so insistent in establishing what he calls “guardrails” in the bilateral relationship, a goal he reiterated in his November 2021 virtual summit with President Xi Jinping as well as in their hourslong phone call last month.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin shares the same objective. The former general used a session with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue this June, in part, to build a personal rapport.
Yet House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s August visit to Taiwan (followed shortly by another U.S. congressional delegation to the island) seems to have spoiled U.S.-China dialogue on multiple issues of mutual concern, at least for the time being.
This piece was originally published in The Chicago Tribune on August 29, 2022. Read more HERE.