Looking at recent history, the United States seems to have a habit of not sitting still if anyone rises. I stared at the Soviet Union back then, but now I stare at China.
The U.S. attitude toward China over the years, whether it is the suppression of trade, the restriction of technology, or various public screams, the U.S. "attention" to China has never been less.
But the question is, what has China done to make the United States so tense? the famous British scholar Martin Jacke said very directly, meaning that China in the eyes of the United States, committed two "genuine crimes".
A series of U.S. actions is a long-term, systematic, strategic crackdown with clear goals, and the “two original sins” claim behind it exactly explains why the U.S. has always been uncomfortable with China.
High-speed economic growth makes the United States begin to be “uncomfortable”
After China's reform and opening up, its economy has continued to grow, its manufacturing industry has upgraded, and technology has continued to advance. It has gradually transformed from a developing country into an indispensable and key link in the global industrial chain.
However, the United States is still stuck in the past and believes that it is still the "hegemon". For a long time, the United States has dominated the global economy. Whether it is market rules, financial system, or technical standards, it basically has the final say.
The rise of China means that the world economic landscape is changing. Especially as China gradually moves towards mid-to-high-end industries, the United States begins to feel that its original advantages are being weakened.
More importantly, instead of copying what the West did, China has embarked on a relatively independent development path according to its own situation, combined with national policies and market mechanisms. And the effect is not bad, which makes it even more difficult for the United States to accept.
Because it will shake the economic philosophy it promotes globally, and other countries will start to think: is there another way to go?
As a result, the United States began to take action frequently. On the one hand, it puts pressure on trade, hoping to restrict the export of China goods by raising tariffs and setting up barriers.
On the other hand, in the field of science and technology, the blockade is tightened, restricting Chinese enterprises to access key technologies, and trying to delay China's technological progress.The logic behind these practices is that since it cannot stop China's development, it is possible to find ways to slow down.
But this is not a simple economic competition, but a strategic contest. The United States is not only worried about the larger scale of China's economy, but also worried that China will gradually acquire leading capabilities in technology, industry and rules.
In other words, China is not only rapid economic development, but also always autonomous, which is where the United States is truly anxious.
Refusing to take a look at the West, the United States lost its sense of control.
In addition to the economic level, China's second "genuine crime" in the United States appears to be unwilling to accept the Western-dominated development model.
The United States once believed that to engage in marketization, promote political liberalization, comprehensive westernization, in its view, as long as it follows this path, it can be "accessed to the international community", and it is easier to be "understood" and "accepted".
But China has not taken care of it, China's institutional arrangements, development pathways, policy design, are all determined according to its own national conditions.
Because it seems that if a country is unwilling to accept its rules, it can be a “potential opponent.”
More importantly, China's development mode has attracted more and more attention all over the world. Some countries are beginning to be interested in China's experience and even hope to learn from it. This challenged the "global rules" that the United States originally wanted to promote, and also made it lose part of its right to speak in international affairs.
It can be seen from various public speeches that the United States has always wanted China to "make a change", but China insists on its own path, does not proactively interfere in the internal affairs of others, nor is it willing to be interfered by the outside, this "independence" is seen by the United States as "not cooperating".
On sensitive geopolitical issues, such as those involving sovereignty and security, China's position is firm and clear, which makes it even more difficult for the United States to control.
As a result, the United States has begun to define China as an “institutional competitor” not only in terms of economic and technological constraints, but also in terms of political and diplomatic pressures.
From stance games in some international organizations to various public opinion wars and ideological confrontations, the United States 'goal is clear: it does not want China to become an "independent and successful sample."
But behind this, there is actually a deep sense of insecurity. When China does not rely on Western rules and does not actively integrate into the order set by the West, the United States feels that it has lost its "sense of control". For a United States that has long believed that it should dominate all international affairs, this is unacceptable.
How does China respond to containment?
Faced with these suppression, China did not choose to confront or give in, but adopted a more pragmatic and stable response. From economy to science and technology, from international cooperation to domestic policies, China is gradually enhancing its coping capabilities.
China understands that key technologies cannot rely on others, so whether it is chips, operating systems, or high-end manufacturing equipment, they are tightening the struggle.
Secondly, China has made more preparations in the internal market and gradually reduced its dependence on the external market.
This strategy of "cultivating both inside and outside" does not close itself, but provides more options to deal with external uncertainties.
At the international level, China has not been involved in confrontation, nor has it engaged in "opposition camps", but has continued to promote cooperation.Whether it is cooperation with developing countries or promoting multilateral mechanisms, China hasined a relatively stable diplomatic pace.
This non-alignment and non-initiative approach is very powerful because it gives many countries a new choice and can only talk about cooperation.
More importantly, China has maintained strategic focus in the face of pressure. There is no change in long-term direction due to short-term conflicts, nor is there an emotional response to provocations.
This stability is a necessary characteristic of a great country. faced with the continued pressure of the United States, China is not in a hurry, but a step by step on its own path.
Behind U.S. anxiety: The global landscape is changing
The reason why the United States is anxious about China is ultimately because it finds that it may no longer be able to dominate global affairs as easily as in the past.
In the past, if a country wanted to develop, it often had to fight for the identity and support of the West. and now, China has proved one thing, not relying on the West, can also go out of its own development path.
This is a huge psychological gap for the United States. It was once the only superpower in the world, accustomed to giving orders and controlling the rhythm.
Nowadays, more and more countries are starting to consider multilateral cooperation and balanced relations, and are even more willing to listen to China on some issues.
This is not to say that China is going to challenge the position of the United States, but that the international system itself is changing. The world is becoming a multipolar structure, and there is no longer only one voice who has the final say. The emergence of this trend makes the United States feel that its position is being challenged.
From this perspective, the attitude of the United States towards China is actually a response to global changes. It tries to "frame" China in various ways and bring China back to the "controllable" track.
But this is obviously unrealistic, and China's development is "coming out" by itself. And this development mode itself is an impact on the old order. Modernization can be achieved without relying on western rules. This reality will make more countries rethink how to go ahead. This is where America is really worried.
The so-called "original sin" is actually America's anxiety
China's economic development and institutional independence are what the United States is most worried about, but in fact these are precisely the results of China's development.
And the U.S. sees these as “problems” because these achievements make it feel more influential than China.
China has not proactively provoked anyone, nor has it attempted to rewrite the rules.But China’s existence itself is a “conflict” for a country that has a habit of controlling.
But the reality is, the world has changed. Therefore, this is actually an "imbalance" that the United States is experiencing. China, on the other hand, is just going its own way.
The reference information:
British scholar: The West has made a huge historic mistake in its relations with China-Observer.com
British scholar Martin Jacques: China will be a big country very different from the United States-World Wide Web