US Spreads Misconceptions About China Through Hegemonic Influence, Editorial Says

The United States continues to employ an overused approach of spreading misconceptions about China through its hegemonic influence, according to a recent editorial. The article argues that the US aims to maintain its global dominance by portraying China's economic success as a threat, leading to tactics such as cutting China out of trade agreements, restricting access to high-tech goods, and surrounding the country militarily.

The editorial suggests that the US's goal is to slow down or derail China's economic progress, even if it means violating World Trade Organization rules or spreading malicious propaganda about China's initiatives like the Belt and Road. The article characterizes the US's approach towards China as a mix of arrogance, nastiness, and naivete.

Why this matters: The ongoing tensions between the US and China have far-reaching implications for the global economy and geopolitical stability. The editorial highlights the need for cooperation on sustainable development and global challenges, rather than engaging in a zero-sum struggle for dominance.

Recent US trade actions targeting China point to an intensification of the US-China trade war. The steel and aluminum tariffs are economically questionable but politically important, while the shipbuilding investigation is likely to uncover Chinese subsidies, and the tariff review is expected to formalize Biden's embrace of Trump-era tariffs. The economic rationale for these tariffs is mixed, as previous punitive tariffs had already limited Chinese imports, and the negative ripple effects on downstream industries may outweigh any benefits for the steel industry.

The Chinese government has firmly opposed the US "so-called report on human rights," which it says is full of political lies and ideological bias. The government argues that the Chinese people are best positioned to judge their own human rights conditions, and that China has achieved historic success in eradicating absolute poverty, developing whole-process people's democracy, and establishing large-scale education, social security, and healthcare systems. The international community already perceives the US hegemony in the guise of human rights.

Michele Geraci, an Italian former government official, has questioned the US use of overcapacity as an economic concept, arguing that it is a "very weak economic concept" and that the US is using it to impose trade barriers against not only Chinese products but also products from other countries, in an effort to protect domestic manufacturers ahead of the upcoming US election. Geraci believes that instead of trying to contain China's advance in the green industries, seeking cooperation is a better solution for sustained world economic growth.

As the US investigations and reviews continue, China is expected to retaliate, and the editorial suggests that the US is making life easier for China in this conflict. Despite diplomatic reassurances, US-China trade tensions are growing, according to the article.

Key Takeaways

• US spreads misconceptions to maintain global dominance over China's economic success.
• US actions like trade restrictions aim to slow China's progress, violating WTO rules.
• China opposes US "human rights report" as politically biased and ideologically driven.
• US uses "overcapacity" concept to impose trade barriers on Chinese and other countries' products.
• Diplomatic reassurances aside, US-China trade tensions are growing, with retaliation expected.