In a Chaotic World, US Hopes for Stabilization with China

Published in Taiwan Times
(Taiwan ) on 6 November 2023
by Zhang Zhen-feng (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Jennifer Sampson. Edited by Michelle Bisson.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has continued for almost a year now,* and war in the Middle East has recently flared up again. The war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas has caused hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties in Gaza. While calls for a humanitarian cease-fire have grown across the globe, it seems so has the likelihood that the conflict will spread to neighboring countries. Large democratic powers such as the U.S. and those in Europe have addressed the conflict unevenly, which has widened international rifts between religious groups that follow Islam’s Allah and the Judeo-Christian god. China and Russia, authoritarian countries that have long been on friendly terms with developing nations, are seeing a resurgence in power. In the current period of global chaos, the U.S. seems to want to restabilize relations with China.

Currently, the European Union, a transnational geopolitical organization, has 27 member countries. However, their opinions are mixed, their consensus building is slow and their diplomatic ability in the face of international matters is limited. Moreover, Germany and France, which both frequently express their opinions and desire control, may not necessarily agree with America’s positions. International order after the pandemic has undergone various changes, while democratic countries are bogged down by domestic problems. Authoritarian China and Russia are keeping a close eye on international affairs.

Russia’s national strength has suffered from international sanctions incurred by its war with Ukraine. However, China’s rise to hegemony has put the EU and U.S. on guard. In the face of a post-pandemic economic slump, after suppressing China, the U.S. now wants to cooperate with it to revive the economy. As the international situation becomes more chaotic, the U.S. increasingly hopes to stabilize relations with China because, should the situation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait deteriorate, it would be difficult to imagine what sort of terrible condition the world would sink into.

Although the situation in the Taiwan Strait has gained international attention in recent years, the U.S. has shifted from trying to suppress China to striving to stabilize relations because of economic and international strategic considerations. Recently, officials from both sides have held intense meetings, and Joe Biden and Xi Jinping will meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Democratic allies such as the EU and Australia have also recently softened their attitude toward China. Taiwan must watch the evolving situation closely and respond whenever necessary to various changing circumstances.

*Editor’s Note: Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, or almost two years ago.


(無事不論)世界紛亂 美盼穩中

俄國入侵烏克蘭戰事近一年,中東戰火近期又起,以色列與巴勒斯坦伊斯蘭主義組織哈瑪斯的戰爭,造成加薩成千上萬平民死傷,人道停火呼聲全球四起,但戰事似有擴大到週邊國家之虞,歐美民主大國未盡平衡的處理,更讓國際間阿拉、上帝的宗教爭議裂痕加深,而長期與第三世界交好的威權中俄,見勢再起,世界紛亂之際,美國似又盼穩住與中國關係…

 自地緣政治強權的跨國組織─歐盟,目前有二十七國成員,但意見多雜,共識決議慢,面對國際事務外交能力局限,且德、法大國也常自表意見欲搶主導,且與美國意見未必一致,國際秩序在疫後再現各種變化,民主大國們卻為其國內問題而絆手絆腳。威權的中俄卻在國際事務上處處著墨。

 俄烏戰事,受國際制裁的俄國力大傷,但中起霸權,讓歐美警覺防範,卻面臨疫後經濟不振,美國壓制中國之餘,又想與中合作,讓經濟上振衰起敝,但隨著國際局勢愈加紛亂,美愈期盼與中關係穩定,因為南海、台海到東海局勢若惡化,實難想像世界將會陷入怎樣的恐怖境地。

 台海局勢近年受國際關注,但美方在經濟、國際戰略等各種考量下,與中國關係從壓制到力求穩定,雙方官員近期密集相互拜會,而拜登與習近平也將於APEC場邊會談,近來也可發現歐、澳等民主盟國們對中態度出現和緩,台灣必須密切相關局勢演變,隨時因應各種變局。

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