The U.S. is Making a Gigantic Mistake!

I commented months ago that Biden was making a mistake to create an enemy out of China at a time when we could use China's help. And up to now they have been helpful by refraining from supplying military assistance to Russia.

This current wave of China bashing got its start under the previous administration when the President started referring to the Covid virus as the "China virus". The relationship between China and the U.S. has been downhill since. Although China is a competitor, and we have strong disagreement with China on a number of issues, absolutely nothing can be gained and much can be lost by making an enemy out of China. China is not our enemy. But we are going to insist on making an enemy out of China. I have lived a long time and I have seen this before. I can't emphasize enough how dangerous current U.S. rhetoric toward China is.

Below I have excerpted the first part of an article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal... The entire article can be accessed here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-xi-jinping-takes-rare-direct-aim-at-u-s-in-speech-5d8fde1a

I do not think it is behind a pay wall.

China’s Xi Jinping Takes Rare Direct Aim at U.S. in Speech
Leader blames Washington-led ‘containment, encirclement and suppression’ for challenges at home

House Committee Warns of Beijing’s Threat to U.S. Interests and Values
You may also like


House Committee Warns of Beijing’s Threat to U.S. Interests and ValuesPlay video: House Committee Warns of Beijing’s Threat to U.S. Interests and Values
A new House committee focused on China held its first hearing on Feb. 28, calling for a concerted government response to the threat it says the Chinese Communist Party poses to the U.S. Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press
By Chun Han Wong, Keith Zhai and James T. Areddy

Updated March 6, 2023 6:47 pm ET
Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued an unusually blunt rebuke of U.S. policy on Monday, blaming what he termed a Washington-led campaign to suppress China for recent challenges facing his country.

“Western countries—led by the U.S.—have implemented all-round containment, encirclement and suppression against us, bringing unprecedentedly severe challenges to our country’s development,” Mr. Xi was quoted by state media as saying on Monday.

Mr. Xi’s comments marked an unusual departure for a leader who has generally refrained from directly criticizing the U.S. in public remarks—even as his decadelong leadership has demonstrated a pessimistic view of the bilateral relationship.

The accusation of U.S. suppression of China’s development over the past five years comes as Mr. Xi faces charges from investors that China’s economy has been damaged by his policies, including the emphasis on national security.

The comments were part of a speech to members of China’s top political advisory body during an annual legislative session in Beijing, according to a Chinese-language readout published by the official Xinhua News Agency.

While Mr. Xi has mentioned the U.S. in critical tones during internal speeches, such remarks have often filtered out through subordinates relaying his messages for broader audiences, within the party and beyond. In statements made in public settings or directly reported by state media, Mr. Xi has typically been more measured and vague regarding the U.S. and other Western countries, referring to them as “certain” countries rather than naming them explicitly.

Now by directly accusing the U.S. of seeking containment, a term loaded with Cold War meaning, Mr. Xi appears to be associating himself more closely with nationalist rhetoric—widely used by lower-ranking officials and state media—that attacks Washington, at a time when bilateral tensions continue to simmer over trade, technology, geopolitical influence and discordant views on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The English-language version of Mr. Xi’s speech reported by Xinhua didn’t refer to containment or the U.S. Instead, it quoted him telling fellow officials to “have the courage to fight as the country faces profound and complex changes in both the domestic and international landscape.”

President Biden says the U.S. competes with China but doesn’t want conflict, though Beijing worries that an emphasis in his national-security strategy on historic rivalry between democracies and autocracies is a sign Washington seeks regime change in Beijing. “We’re not looking for a new Cold War,” Mr. Biden said last month.

The escalatory spiral makes it hard to cool tensions but both China and the U.S. have room to tame the rhetoric, Jessica Chen Weiss, a Cornell University professor and former State Department adviser, told an online conference hosted by Foreign Policy magazine on Monday. “The current tit-for-tat spiral serves no one,” she said.
...

 

Yup. There is a serious propaganda initiative underway. I read this morning that Australians are being warned they must prepare for war with China. Buncha bullshit.

 

It’s true that the rhetoric in the US has stepped up against China but at the same time China fucked over the world with Covid. No matter what you think they let it get out of control and were piss poor global citizens from the outset.

Also their Russian entanglement is now a problem. Add on top of that Xi has now consolidated power to be a fully autocratic dictator and yes they are a threat right now by way of extension.

If the Chinese had regular leadership changes then I could see the point in saying we need to back off a little bit but they’re not and that means their policies will most likely increase against the west and the US in particular. We cannot hide from that and we have to be ready to take necessary countermeasures.

 

It's a good thing that you are not in charge.

 

You have no idea how much that benefits you personally.

 

The conflict started way before COVID, Trump started a trade war over outsourcing populist rhetoric. You can thank the vitriol behind those tariffs to some state of where we are today in that regard.

Now as to what Xi said, lol at taking the word of a nationalist demagogue. It's the go to move of every dictator and dictator wannabe around the world, "the globalists at the behest of the US are guilty for our domestic problems!".

Has the US ramped up pressure these last few yrs? Absolutely. Are we responsible for the world's decision concerning China (at this point)? I don't think so....they may agree it's a "good idea" to boycott or tariff China as we've done.

Is China "guilt free" and above reproach? Hell no. They've been bullying and militarizing in the S. China sea, they ignored HK's agreement to remain sovereign a while longer (and the world saw the crackdown), they're putting Muslim Chinese in concentration camps (w/somewhat dubious reports of heinous shit happening in said camps) (and the world saw), and lastly they were shady AF when asked to cooperate on the origin of COVID. You think some rando in Ecuador cares what the US says when grandma died choking in her own fluids and China decided not to allow answers to be answered? Let's not even get started on them telegraphing a Ukr. type move over Taiwan.

 

Wall Street bitch won't uncouple from China.

 

Brilliant! Thanks. Reminds me of that WWII cartoon in which two American G.I.s are walking down a paris boulevard. One says to the other, "Have you ever seen so many foreigners?".

 

In fairness, how many of those were opened over Japan and N.Korea being bellicose assholes? 'nam need not apply