Washington and Beijing will remain “systemic adversaries” for at least another decade, US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said Thursday.
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“We are systemic adversaries, and I think we will continue to be for another decade or more,” Burns said, speaking via video link from Beijing to an Atlantic Council forum on geopolitics, economics and finance.
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“The relationship between the US and China remains highly competitive, we represent the two largest economies, the two most powerful military powers, we have the greatest potential to influence other countries in the world… and therefore we must be careful in how we build this relationship “, the American diplomat said, calling the need to simultaneously compete and “sometimes be partners” with China a “strategic dilemma.”
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The ambassador noted that the countries “over the past 9-10 months have managed to stabilize bilateral relations,” which actually ceased after the visit of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan and the discovery of a Chinese balloon over US territory. Today, according to Burns, it has been possible to “restore the channels of communication necessary for successful cooperation at the ministerial level.”
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Relations between Beijing and Washington have cooled significantly even under the administration of President Donald Trump, which started a “trade war” with China. With the advent of Joe Biden, the situation did not improve, but even worsened – a number of incidents, including a visit to Taiwan by then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the US destruction of a Chinese balloon in American airspace, led to a new round of diplomatic confrontation and China’s boycott of cooperation with the US on in a number of areas, including through defense departments. Recently, a series of steps have been taken to normalize relations.
