Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will meet with officials in China this week as disputes over war, trade, technology and security test the two countries' efforts to stabilize their relationship.
The United States is entering an election year where President Biden will face intense pressure to confront China's authoritarian government and introduce new protections for businesses and workers America faces cheap Chinese imports.
China is calling for foreign investment to support its stagnant economy. At the same time, leader Xi Jinping has strengthened national security and expanded China's military presence around Taiwan and the South China Sea in ways that have made neighbors wary.
Mr Biden and Mr Xi have held talks to prevent the dispute between the two countries from escalating into conflict, after relations sank to their lowest point in decades last year. But a series of challenges can make it difficult to stabilize a relationship.
Controversy over China's territorial claims
The United States is pushing back against China's increasingly assertive claims to waters in the South China Sea and the self-governing island of Taiwan by building security alliances in Asia.
That effort has spurred Beijing is even more concerned that the US is leading a campaign to encircle China and prevent its rise.
In meetings earlier this month, Mr. Biden met with the leaders of Japan and the Philippines. The US government said it discussed territorial conflicts in the South China Sea, including China's “persistent harassment of the Philippines' lawful activities”.
Encounters between Chinese and US military ships and aircraft in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea and East China Sea continue, raising fears that an accident could spark a confrontation. confrontation between two great powers. That is why US officials insist on maintaining close military contacts. High-level contact between the two militaries was restored earlier this year after China froze communications in response to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August 2022.
China says the United States and its allies are causing confrontation and should not interfere in regional affairs. It has sparked outrage over the United States and the Philippines conducting annual joint military exercises this week. The US military also deployed for the first timeThis is part of a medium-range missile system exercise in the Philippines that can reach targets in China.
To counter Washington's efforts, China has tried to strengthen its relationships with non-aligned countries in the region. The country's top diplomat, Wang Yi, visited Indonesia, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea last week, at the same time that Mr. Blinken met with foreign ministers of the Group of Seven nations, a group that Beijing views as a rival. about global influence.
Inhibits the flow of Fentanyl
US officials say China has played a troubling role in supplying the chemicals and precursors used to make the powerful drug fentanyl.
During a meeting in San Francisco in November, President Biden and Xi resolved to work together to track and cut those flows. US officials say China has begun to make some progress on that issue, but they will likely press for further action.
In a report released last week, a House Congressional committee focusing on China alleged that China has actively promoted the supply of fentanyl precursors to the United States, including by subsidizing exporter. A State Department official said Chinese authorities have begun taking action against China's suppliers of chemical precursors and synthetic drugs, but the US wants to see progress.
China has long denied playing a significant role in the fentanyl crisis in the United States and denied blame, saying it was a victim of Western powers in the Opium Wars.
Trade and technology restrictions
The United States and China still have one of the world's deepest trade relationships, but the relationship has become even more strained in recent months.
US officials urged China scaled back exports of cheap electric vehicles and other green energy goods, saying they were a threat to American jobs. They are considering whether to raise tariffs on Chinese-made cars and solar panels, aiming to block more Chinese imports from the United States.
Last week, the Biden administration announced it would triple the tax rate on steel and aluminum products from China and began an investigation into unfair practices by China's shipbuilding, maritime and logistics industries.
The Biden administration also continues to add restrictions on the sale of advanced chips and the machinery used to make them to China, over concerns that AI could aid China's military.
And on Tuesday, the US Senate passed a bill that could force TikTok's Chinese owner to sell the app or face being banned in the US. The ban will likely be challenged in court.
Beijing has protested the restrictions, which Mr. Xi said were an attempt to deny China's “legitimate right to development.” In response, he called on China to promote “new productive forces” – a government mantra aimed at strengthening the country's economy through technology and innovation in the hope of becoming more self-reliant.
Cybersecurity and election interference
US officials have expressed concerns that China may seek to influence the outcome of the upcoming US presidential election, including orchestrating social media campaigns to influence US public opinion.
National Security Agency said last week that there are also more signs that China is trying to gain access to U.S. critical infrastructure in order to threaten those systems in the event of conflict. Last year, Microsoft said it detect malicious code was spread by Chinese government hackers embedded in telecommunications systems in Guam and elsewhere in the United States.
While Beijing denies engaging in cyberattacks and election interference, Recently leaked documents shows that China has developed a sophisticated network of state-sponsored hackers targeting databases around the world.
Russia's war in Ukraine
US officials have made clear that they view China's sale to Russia of chips, machine tools, drones and other materials used in the war in Ukraine as one of the biggest obstacles in the relationship. relations between Beijing and Washington.
And they believe that getting China to withdraw that support could determine the outcome of the war.
China has tried to tread a cautious line of not providing Russia with “lethal assistance” such as weapons, while still supporting Moscow. In early April, Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with the Russian Foreign Minister and reaffirmed China's partnership with Russia.
Even as tensions between China and the United States have eased, Mr. Xi and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin remain closely aligned. The two leaders have sought to undermine Washington's global dominance, blaming “American hegemony” for limiting their national ambitions.
Influence on Iran
American officials, including Mr. Blinken, hoping to avoid a broader war in the Middle East, have asked China to use its influence over Iran to persuade it not to escalate confrontation with Israel.
Like-minded critics of the West, China and Iran have had close diplomatic relations for more than 50 years. That relationship has grown economically as China has pledged to invest billions of dollars in Iran in exchange for oil and fuel.
Beijing described Iran's missile and drone attacks on Israel earlier this month as an “act of self-defense”, after many claimed the Israeli strike killed 7 Iranian officials.
Since Israel's war in Gaza began, China has sought solidarity with the Muslim world by blaming America for decades of instability in the Middle East. Beijing also did not condemn Hamas for the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7.
