WITH election politics dictating current US foreign policy moves, Washington’s actions are driving China and Russia much closer in a strengthened strategic partnership. The unintended consequences of American policies were laid bare by the outcome of the recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing.
This was Putin’s first overseas visit after he secured a fifth term as president. It took place against the backdrop of tough US warnings to China not to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, where Russian forces are reported to be advancing in an offensive in the northeast. Washington imposed sanctions earlier this month on several Chinese companies for allegedly supplying Russia with components for military use. This happened immediately after Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing, where he raised US concerns about China’s military dealings with Russia. This met with a sharp response from Chinese officials, who dismissed US accusations as “groundless”. Foreign Minister Wang Yi shot back, saying “China is neither the creator of the Ukraine crisis nor a party to it”.
Subsequently, the Biden administration significantly raised tariffs on Chinese imports including electric vehicles, computer chips and medical products in a bid to woo blue-collar voters in America’s swing states, where the president is trailing his rival, Donald Trump. This added to a growing stream of US trade restrictions, which Beijing sees as aimed at containing China and thwarting its economic progress. Predictably, the latest curbs provoked a furious response from Chinese........