Dr. Jorgji KOTE
Recently, there have been increased efforts and diplomatic demarche to reduce the political, economic, and military tones and tensions between the US/the West in general vis-a-vis China, after mutual accusations, incidents in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, with ships and warplanes, etc.
In fact, given the seriousness of the situation, it is necessary and urgent to think deeply and act more quickly and diplomatically. Besides, this requires objective realpolitik judgment, without prejudices, and from equal positions. We emphasize this, because regardless of the facts and arguments that the West gives to explain its geostrategic concerns against China, it has room for reflection on its own “sins”, as it does on the problems, shortages, and obstacles it has and creates, without “pointing the finger” only at the Chinese “faults”.
Let’s begin our analysis by asserting that despite the legitimate geopolitical concerns that China’s emergence and its potential claims as a world superpower bring, many problems and troubles in the world are not its authorship. This can be said about the conflicts in the Middle East, Latin America, and the Western Balkans in general, and especially the Serbia-Kosovo Dialogue and the latest tensions between them. In fact, there is no Chinese trace anywhere in what seems like a dead end there.
It is often mentioned that China does not recognize Kosovo. Yes, well, why should we go all the way to China, where the international sensitivity for Taiwan and the “One China” policy is known anyway, and it is hardly mentioned at all that we have evil from within the EU? Not one, but 5 member countries do not even deserve to recognize Kosovo!
In this context, the US, Germany, and other EU countries are doing well to make the right turn, gently and gradually renouncing in persistently demanding China more. This was also seen in the meetings of Secretary of State Blinken in Beijing on June 18-19.
Then, let’s be honest, the rule of law has become critical and a difficult challenge for the US/EU itself. Its seductive and inspiring power, due to the escalation of illiberal democracy, populism, extremism, nationalism, and many other “isms” has faded significantly in the last 20 years.
Consequently, in its first national security strategy, adopted on June 14, 2023, in its relations with China and other non-Western countries, official Berlin will mainly refer to the UN Charter.
In addition to the above, the moment when China is being pressured in this area is no longer favorable for the West as it was in the early 90s; its credibility has been greatly eroded in recent years. The democratic troubles have increased for the USA itself with a painful catalog of frightening events. Suffice it to mention the election of President Trump in 2017, the 37 current charges against him and yet the possibility of winning in the 2024 presidential elections, the armed attack on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, the tensions with racism, the escalation of gun violence where 40,000 people are killed every year, mostly children and students, etc.
The situation within the EU is no better. In addition to the above-mentioned “isms”, the extreme right has come to power in Italy, Sweden, and Finland; meanwhile, it continues to gain ground in France, Germany, Spain, and elsewhere. As for EU membership, which was trumpeted with great fanfare from Thessaloniki 20 years ago, it has been “running the tires in the mud” for a while now.
The West has also suffered failures in terms of regional and continental security. We recall his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, and Syria. Well, China has not had any involvement in this direction at all, because the West there had in its hand the bases and the aftermath.
In recent years, Western countries, especially the USA, have not set a good example even in the field of multilateral diplomacy. The high point was reached during the Trump Presidency when the US withdrew from 10 important international organizations and treaties. The opposite was done by China, which of course had no way of leaving these spaces empty, joining them in favor of multilateralism.
Meanwhile, why not say that in recent years the USA and the West in general, instead of expanding diplomacy with China, have dealt more with unnecessary accusations and provocations and with demonstrations of force against it? Thus, there was no need for former Speaker of the US Congress Nancy Pelosi to go to Taiwan last year and incite political and military tensions to a peak. There were and are other ways to act in these areas of extreme political and diplomatic sensitivity.
Or as in the case of the Chinese Minister of Defense, Li Shangf, who was placed on the US sanctions list in 2018; and yet, a few weeks ago he was asked to meet by his American counterpart, which he politely declined. In this regard, Dennis Wilder, a sinologist at Georgetown University in Washington, asks if his American counterpart Austin was on the Chinese sanctions list, could he go to meet the Chinese counterpart? Of course not!
Even for military spending, you can criticize China, but the West itself is doing the same, even to a greater extent. Thus, official data shows that the largest military spender in 2022 was the US with 877 billion dollars, equal to 39 percent of global spending, greater than its eight allied countries combined! While China occupies only 13 percent of them!
Undoubtedly, the biggest concerns of the West with China in the last 20 years have to do with many major reasons with the economic, trade, and investment policies and relations between them. This is primarily due to the economic and commercial super-dependence of European countries on China. Although they knew the problems and consequences for which today they unfairly criticize China, they continued economic and commercial cooperation according to the “business as usual” principle. This is in the name of the convenience and cheap fees of buying goods from China, absorbing their products and investments from the giant Chinese market, etc. It took the war in Ukraine for the West to remember and undertake the already known reforms, including the new “economic security” strategy launched by the US, and now in June, Germany and the EU. But, at least they understood that they cannot separate or detach their economies from China; so today they are talking about “de-risking” or minimizing risks from China; ok, only they have their own fault, and their “sins” are not necessarily Chinese “faults”.
The second major concern here is the global Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that China launched 10 years ago, with its well-known goals and achievements. However, it too has encountered unfounded accusations and extreme politicization in many Western countries. The freshest case is given by the journalist, former German correspondent in Beijing, Philipp Mattheis with his book published on May 23, 2023 “The Dirty Silk Road (Die Dreckige Seidenstrasse). Among other things, in this book is underlined that “on the highways that China builds, apart from goods, the ideology, dominance and economic dependence of those countries on China are also transported” Well, then, whatever is done, these much-needed highways and airports should not be built for fear that, as the author says, they will destroy democracies, which in most of those countries do not even exist?
Then, would the situation there really be better without these highways and the Silk Road, or only with the values and principles of liberal democracy?
This is why, instead of reprimanding China for this major initiative, labeling it as a “Masterplan for world domination”, the West would do well to change its behavior and attitude towards China and towards a large number of countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which, needless to say, have been disappointed by it. This has recently been affirmed by the former US Minister of Finance Larry Summers, who was bluntly told in an African country “We like your values more, but we also want roads and airports”. However, unfortunately, as it is said in a very successful status in today’s diplomatic discourses, “China builds us airports, while the USA gives us lectures”.
This communication need was expressed a few months ago to President Macron and his counterpart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tschesedeki, telling him in front of the cameras that France and the EU must change their behavior towards Africa, see it differently “to talk to us not like before, as if you are always right and we are wrong”.
There is a lot of talk about “Chinese debt diplomacy” because countries that cannot pay their debts are forced to sell their national assets. However, critics ignore the numerous and great success stories of this initiative, which include EU member states, Greece, Germany, Italy, and Hungary. This is why, regardless of the risks and problems of paying off these debts, according to a well-known sinologist in Berlin, Franceska Ghiretti, “African countries have a greater appetite” for Chinese goods, loans, and investments”.
Therefore, it is better that instead of the extreme politicization of everything “Made in China”, the Western countries mention and help concretely to fight corruption, this “social gangrene” that is also mentioned in the reports of the US Department of State and in Progress Reports of the European Commission and other evils that are encountered in EU member/candidate countries.
Only that caution in these aspects has nothing to do with fear and allergy to the imaginary risks of Chinese investments, which remind us of the years ago, when foreign aid, loans, and investments were declared high treason!
Therefore, it is a positive fact that recently, the USA, the EU, France, Germany, and Italy have launched a broad diplomatic offensive in China and in the countries closely related to it in Africa and Latin America. More specifically, efforts are being made to conclude the MERCOSUR Free Trade Agreement, which has been dragging on for 20 years, while China and Russia have entered it in time. The newest promising phenomenon was the development on June 19-20 in Berlin of bilateral government consultations at the prime ministerial level. With the motto “To cooperate consistently.” This takes on particular importance since China is Germany’s largest economic partner, with a volume of 300 billion Euros. Next, after Berlin, Chinese Premier Li Qiang went to the highest-level government talks in Paris, which took place in the same spirit and positive predisposition.
Likewise, the EU, instead of ideologizing and demonizing the Chinese BRI and is responding with its giant project of 600 billion Euros. However, there has been no criticism from China, because according to it this is normal, economic competition.
Finally, the problems and disagreements between them are not solved with counter-statements and provocative “top-to-top” statements about “who are you and who am I”. What’s more, according to Moritz Rudolf, professor at Yale University, the West is “doomed” to cooperate with China in at least 4 vital areas – civil defense, climate change, grain security, and pressure on Russia not to use nuclear weapons. When China, despite its delays, shortcomings, hesitations, and any attitude without political credibility, has taken concrete steps for possible peace in Ukraine, as it is doing in the Middle East and elsewhere. Creative and transformative fantasy is required today, as Hilary Clinton used to say. However, this necessarily requires an increase, not a decrease, of contacts in all areas, starting with security. Because, out of 40 meetings of defense experts held between the two countries in 2013, in 2022 there were only 4 of them!
This is why the visit and meetings of the American diplomat Blinken in Beijing on June 18-19 and his friendly reception by the Chinese President Xi Jinping with messages to reduce tensions have been appreciated because they promise a more acceptable spirit and pave the way for further efforts to expand US-China relations, a great service for peace, stability, and planetary security.
© 2023 Argumentum
