By Daniel DePetris
The bilateral relationship between the United States and China is arguably the most important in the world today. The two countries make up approximately 42 percent of the world’s economic output and more than half of global military expenditure (at $801 billion, the US share of that total dwarfs China’s). The Biden administration’s recently released National Security Strategy names China as “the only competitor with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it.” The central objective from Washington’s standpoint is to compete vigorously with Beijing, prevent China from attaining hegemonic status in the Asia-Pacific, and ensure this competition doesn’t slide into conflict.
Thus, President Biden’s first in-person summit with China’s Xi Jinping was absolutely necessary — and if we’re being honest, long overdue. The two men have interacted countless times before, holding five calls or video conferences over the last twenty months. But as US officials have stressed time and again, no format can replace direct dialogue. The question is whether the meeting generates anything beyond platitudes about cooperation.
This piece was originally published in The Spectator on November 14, 2022. Read more HERE.