Opinion | Amid US and China's candid exchange of concerns, President Biden reminded of his legacy

By Augustus K. Yeung

Introduction

Christmas is around the corner, and U.S. President Joe Biden has a box full of gifts, all beautifully wrapped, meant for an aspirant China and its innocent people. What's in it. And when it will be delivered?

"It came after US President Joe Biden confirmed last month that the White House was considering a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games in February over China's alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, just days after his first virtual summit with his counterpart Xi Jinping." ("BEIJING URGES U.S. BODIES TO 'SPEAK UP, SPEAK OUT.'" South China Morning Post, Thursday, December 2, 2012.)

How's China Going to Ward off US Harassment?

China has urged American business groups to "speak up and speak out" for Beijing as the White House considers a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics and to impose additional tariffs on China…

Foreign vice-minister Xie Feng, who is in charge of US affairs, laid out Beijing's requests during a virtual meeting on Tuesday with key US business lobby groups, including the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, the US-China Business Council and various state-level bilateral associations were also present, according to an account posted on the foreign ministry website.

What did Xie Feng say to the American Group?

Xie Feng praised the American groups for their commitment and contribution to friendly relations in the past, especially when bilateral ties were in trouble, and urged them to be the 'guardians' of US-China cooperation.

"It's good to enjoy the shade under the big tree," Xi Feng said. But he warned that if relations between the two countries deteriorated, the business community could not expect to make money while remaining silent.

"I hope that everyone will continue to play an important and unique role, speak out, speak up, and encourage the US government to pursue a rational and pragmatic policy towards China, stop fighting trade wars, industrial wars and technological wars, and stop creating values ideologies and geopolitical confrontations and conflicts," Xi said.

The Final Words from Xie Feng and Qin Gang

Xie Feng insisted "China has no room for compromise" on issues such as Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

"I hope that friends in the busines community clearly oppose the politicization of economic and trade issues, oppose the abuse of national security concepts, push the Biden administration to abolish additional tariffs on China, stop suppressing and sanctioning Chinese companies, and provide a fair playing field for companies in the two countries," he said.

"Boycotting the Olympics for political reasons harms the interests of athletes, violates the common ideals and pursuits of the international community, and is unpopular," the minister said, adding that the American business community and local groups should "make positive contributions to this end."

(After all, as many as 97 per cent of the more than 70,000 enterprises in China that have attracted US investment are profitable, according to Xie.)

In another session just hours after the Xi-Biden summit on November 16, Beijing's ambassador to Washington Qin Gang told the US-China Chamber of Commerce that both sides need to help make a big cooperation 'cake'. He even vowed to fight the US suppression of Chinese companies in the name of national security.

What Did the Americans Say?

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the US had "serious concerns about the human rights abuses we've seen in Xinjiang".

Heads of the American chambers of commerce based in Shanghai and Beijing also voiced concerns about the outflow of foreign businesspeople from China due to Beijing's stringent COVID-19 controls, according to the Financial Times.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Southwest China, which is based in Chengdu, was forced to suspend operations in recent months.

Conclusion

Almost one year into his presidency, the Joe Biden administration's foreign policy towards China is metaphorically packed with new technology, but it lacks style, integrity and personality: You can't leave a luminous legacy simply by bashing Beijing and hurting the pride and interests of the peace-loving Chinese people. Even fair-minded American voters may ask, "What does this Biden policy of confronting China benefit America?"

According to folk Chinese wisdom, it is a classic case of "Hurting other people's interests, and yet not benefiting oneself a bit," which is considered the worst kind of human behavior ever, severely aggravating the US president's fragile statue of morality and humanity.

With only three years to go, considering President Joe Biden's low approval ratings in a continuing downward spiral, his re-election bid looks dim, not to mention his legacy-building, unless he immediately drops his present policy of antagonizing China, and opt for a constructive friendly policy of meaningful and full cooperation.

With or without Biden creating roadblocks, China is set to be on the rise: With President Xi Jinping, a strong and unmistakable supreme leader blessed by a 95% approval rating in China after the latest national congress, and without a strong opposing US leader, whose most recent approval rating has gone down to 40%, Biden's credibility and America's supremacy do seem to be on the way down, day by day.

What words of wisdom should the National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan offer to the wayward puritan US president? Should the president be remembered as the once "popular vice-president"? Or should Joe Biden be remembered as the statesman and the president who miraculously saves America from its due course of degeneration?

One last word, "Stop politicizing sports! Stop boycotting the Beijing Winter Olympic 2022! Or the US president will long be remembered by a nation of Chinese--as a sinner for a thousand years."

 

The author is a freelance writer; formerly Adjunct Lecturer, taught MBA Philosophy of Management, and International Strategy, and online columnist of 3-D Corner (HKU SPACE), University of Hong Kong.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.

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