On US-China relations

Source: The post is based on an article “‘Balloon-gate showed how tense US-China relations are … most scary is their weak communication mechanisms’” published in The Times of India on 23^rd February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – International Relations

Relevance: China-US relations

News: There have been lots of controversies over the spy balloon of China. It was later shot down by the US. This incident shows the growing distrust between the two countries.

What are the concerns with the relations between China and the US?

US Predominance: The shooting down of the balloon reflects that China is a threat to the US and a strong action is required to ensure continued US predominance.

Taiwan: There are very less chances of direct military conflicts between the two nations as most of the issues can be resolved by talks and agreements. However, there is considerable risk of military conflict over Taiwan.

Russia: There have been improvements in the relations between China and Russia. They declared that the two countries had a partnership with no limits. They both see the US as their common threats. Hence, China’s increasing proximity with Russia might be a concern for the relations between China and the US.

Strong leadership: China has seen a strong leadership and Xi’s self-appointment to a third term as CCP secretary general is one of its parts. Chinese leaders are now more open about saying that they don’t see convergence with every aspect of US leadership. Chinese society is also changing. Hence, strong leaders possess a threat over the relations between the two nations.

What are the implications of the relationships between the US and China on India?

Both nations see India in terms of broader strategic goals. For example, Quad is more about the US’s view of the role of its allies in countering China than India’s benefit.