By Quinn Marschick
On the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ meeting, U.S. President Joseph Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first in-person meeting since Biden became president to discuss Indo-Pacific competition and vital interests. Both leaders indicated a desire to avoid great power conflict and explained their respective national interests. These interests – especially ones considered vital to both countries – will become increasingly important as competition intensifies. Prudently managing U.S.-China relations is possible and a disastrous conflict avoidable if the United States and China focus on their non-conflicting vital interests.
America’s vital interests are narrow: a strong economy, protecting the homeland with a powerful military, and preserving its way of life. The United States needs a prosperous economy, not just to improve the lives of its citizens, but to invest in its defense.
By improving its armed forces and developing new defense capabilities, America can maintain an edge on any foreign force. With a powerful military, Washington can best defend U.S. territorial integrity and deter aggressors. It can also better protect the American form of government and way of life from foreign influence and coercion.
Like the United States, China’s vital – or “core” as they term them – interests are equally narrow and very similar: preserving the Chinese form of government, upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty, and economic development. Most importantly, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) desires to maintain control of China. All other interests and policies are tied to this goal.
This piece was originally published in Orange County Register on December 9, 2022. Read more HERE.