Close Uygur camps in Xinjiang, dial back 'wolf warriors': how China can win support
As far as bilateral ties between the United States and China are concerned, one will be hard pressed to give a definitive answer these days.
As the US entered the 100-day countdown to the presidential election, with Donald Trump bruised by falling polling numbers and his abject failure to contain the raging coronavirus pandemic in the country, fears are growing that his administration could make even more extraordinary moves to provoke China by pushing for a total breakdown of relations or even outright military conflict in the coming months.
Already, Washington made the unusual move to shut down the Chinese consulate in Houston on spying allegations, a highly suspect move given the fact that all embassies or consulates, including American ones, are involved in intelligence gathering - that is how the game is played. This prompted Beijing to take the tit-for-tat move of closing the US consulate in Chengdu, marking a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two great powers.
Chinese police officers march in front of the former US consulate in Chengdu after it was ordered to close. Photo: EPA-EFE
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took Washington's rhetorical war against China to a new level by painting the Chinese Communist Party as an existential threat and urging the free world to "triumph over this new tyranny".
He gave the speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, a deliberately chosen venue of huge symbolism because of Nixon's critical role in normalising relations between the two countries following his historic 1972 trip to China.
Pompeo's address was the latest in a series of speeches bysenior US officials including National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General William Barr, all of whom called for a harder line on China.
Even as Washington ratchets up tensions on all fronts, it has been clear for some time that Beijing does not intend relations to spin out of control as it walks a tightrope to respond in kind so that it would not be seen as weak at home.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers a speech about China at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library. Photo: DPA
President Xi Jinping and other senior officials, including Yang Jiechi, a Politburo member in charge of foreign affairs, have been conspicuously absent from making direct public comments on Washington's latest provocative moves, mainly leaving the foreign ministry and the official media to fight back.
Indeed, the significant tit-for-tat closings of consulates, which made banner headlines around the world, did not feature on Xinwen Lianbo, a 30-minute news programme which airs at 7pm daily and is simultaneously broadcast on all local TV news channels across China. The programme is widely seen as "the weathervane" of Chinese politics and policy directions.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently had a virtual meeting with his German counterpart, Heiko Maas, in which he said China would not be guided by US moves and would not allow the US to do whatever it wants.
Wang's remarks may reflect the Chinese leadership's latest thinking on how to handle the volatile bilateral ties, with the emphasis on refusing to dance to the tune of the US.
That is the right move. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. The worst option is for Beijing to allow the relationship to continue on a downward spiral at a time when China is faced with the worst possible international environment in decades.
Chinese officials are believed to be split over how to respond to US provocations, with the hardliners in the armed forces urging for a more forceful response. But it seems the moderates have gained the upper hand for the moment.
Indeed, as the Chinese foreign ministry and official media consistently paint Washington's moves and rhetoric as irrational, reckless and bordering on unhinged, that gives Beijing the reason to refrain from doing the same to the US.
There is also a growing suspicion that Washington is laying a trap and deliberately provoking Beijing to react irrationally for the sake of its domestic politics.
In fact, there are good reasons to convince Beijing to ease up on some of the contentious issues, including Xinjiang, to win more international support.
A Chinese flag is seen at a consulate in the US, amid tit-for-tat moves ordering the closure of consulates in each country. Photo: AFP
The Chinese leadership used to be known for building a united front and joining forces together. But the reality is that Washington is aggressively pushing its Western allies and others to form a united front against China. It is not in Beijing's best interests to be in a situation of China vs the West.
Over the past two weeks, the foreign minister has spoken to his counterparts in Germany, France and Britain, urging them not to take sides with the US and to prevent a new cold war.
Beijing can definitely do more.
For one thing, it should take more measures to rein in the so-called wolf warrior diplomacy which has caused disquiet in many Western countries.
Secondly, at a time when Chinese leaders repeatedly called for self-reliance as they prepare for the worst-case scenario, raising concerns over the country's future direction, China should also reassure foreign investors that it will continue its opening up and economic reforms.
On Tuesday, China and the European Union held "candid and effective" talks on economic and trade ties, led by Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He and European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis.
China has repeatedly indicated it hopes to conclude the long-awaited bilateral investment treaty with the EU towards the end of this year, and it is time for Beijing to overcome the obstacles to ensure the deal can be reached. The same is also true for its discussions with Asean countries to set up free-trade zones.
On July 21, Xi chaired a high-profile symposium with businesspeople from state, private, and foreign-invested companies, during which he urged more efforts to spur the vitality of market entities and promote entrepreneurship. The Chinese government should follow up with more measures to create equal treatment for all enterprises and enforce better protection of intellectual property.
Chinese flags line a road leading to a facility believed to be a re-education camp in the Xinjiang region. Photo: AFP
Having so many people confined to re-education camps in the name of countering extremism and terrorism was a bad idea to begin with.
The authorities claim the re-education camps have helped prevent violence as Xinjiang has not experienced a terrorist attack since December 2016. But such harsh tactics have drawn widespread condemnation not only from human rights groups but also foreign governments, making a serious dent in China's image and standing.
On Thursday, Xinjiang reported 96 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the region's total to 414. Most of the cases in the past two weeks have been in the capital city of Urumqi, but there is evidence the virus is spreading to other cities including Kashgar, which is more than 1,000km away. This has triggered concerns that the coronavirus could reach those re-education centres, where space is cramped.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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