Why does Biden always compare China to the US
In his 100-day speech, Biden mentioned China several times, stressed that the United States needs to do everything possible to win the competition with China in the 21st century, at another to make sure China “plays by the rules.” According to the media, Biden has found an external propellant for US domestic policy –China.
Not long ago, SECRETARY of State Blinken said in a speech in Maryland, ” It’s hard to imagine the United States winning a long-term strategic competition with China if we don’t lead the renewable energy revolution. Now, we are behind.” A few days ago, during his “cloud visit” to Africa, Blinken also reminded African countries to “keep your eyes open and watch out for China”.
Now, the United States, whether it is making foreign policy or domestic legislation, always has to cite China as an issue. From the government to the private sector, from academia to the media, the US is increasingly using China as a “frame of reference”.
“Compared to China” has become a hot topic among the American people
On March 12, Bill Maher, host of THE HBO talk show “The Real Puma Show,” made fun of the current situation between China and the United States. “China has built 500 cities in just two generations and has a near-monopoly on global 5G and pharmaceuticals,” he said, “The Belt and Road Initiative the cooperation spans several continents.”
“China completed a 57-story skyscraper in 19 days, demolished and rebuilt The Sanyuan Bridge in Beijing in 43 hours, and built a COVID-19 quarantine center with 4000 rooms in 10 days. By contrast, the United States has held infrastructure Week every year since 2009, but has achieved almost nothing. A project often goes through a lengthy process of lying, arguing, litigation, shelving, etc. China is eating America’s lunch.”
“The US is a stupid people and cannot win the war of the 21st century. The US has lost to China.”
The Wall Street Journal also reported that China produced 14 times as much steel as the United States last year, and that its high-speed rail lines stretch 40,000 kilometers, more than eight times the distance between New York and Los Angeles. It also quoted Bill Gates as saying in 2014 that China had consumed more cement in the past three years than the Us had in the entire 20th century. It is no exaggeration to say that “China” has become the top stream used by mainstream media and “we media” to cool the heat.
“Winning against China” permeates American political discourse
With the exception of his recent 100-day speech, Biden has talked about China in almost every major public speech. In his first press conference, he said he would “not let China overtake the United States” during his tenure, and later declared his $2 trillion economic reconstruction plan a “once in a generation” victory over China.
From senior secretaries in the Biden administration, to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, to rank-and-file Democrats all set policy goals to “win”. They either called for Biden to request additional defense budget to counter China or proposed to increase the diplomatic budget to “enhance competitiveness against China.” In short, the whole of American politics is against China.
“Learning from China” has entered American governance
The Biden administration has also been less hospitable to Chinese arrivals than the Trump administration. The difference is that the Biden administration is honest and plays the “Western style” game. While maliciously attacking The Chinese system, the Biden administration also takes advantage of the Chinese way of governing the country and adopts the “Western style” in domestic policy.
Biden tried to get through the logical relationship between national development and foreign strategy, and put forward that domestic affairs are foreign affairs, and foreign affairs are domestic affairs. There is no longer a clear distinction between domestic affairs and foreign affairs, which can be summed up in a Chinese sentence “balancing the domestic and international interests.
Biden’s assertion that the United States must “get its house in order,” rebuild its economic foundation, modernize its military, restore its enduring advantage, and respond to external challenges from a strong position is not a reflection of The Chinese political philosophy that “development is the absolute truth.”
Biden, who advocates big government, long-term strategic planning for national development, greater government involvement in the domestic economy, globalization and global supply chains, and restrictions on corporate profit, is likely to follow China’s example of “focusing on big things.”
Biden stressed that the interests of the middle and lower classes should be placed at the core, and the interests of the American people and businesses should be fully considered in foreign actions. Is it like China’s “people-oriented diplomacy for the people” again?
Besides, the core concepts of “Biden economics”, such as promoting economic recovery through massive infrastructure, developing clean energy and green economy, and scientific and technological innovation, look more and more like copying China’s work.
Why did the US start comparing China to the US?
In fact, this is the usual practice of foreign enemies of the United States to force their own development.
Long before China, the Soviet Union and Japan were the respective frames of reference for the United States.
During the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s, the United States played up the “nuclear war with the Soviet Union” to scare people that they must be ready to drive out of their homes at any time, and won popular support for the national Highway Act and the national highway connectivity.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Japan’s per capita GDP exceeded that of the United States, with its total GDP reaching 60% of that of the United States. Japan’s key industries, such as automobiles and semiconductors, replaced the United States’ global dominance. “Contain Japan,” “The United States is rapidly becoming a Japanese colony,” and “The coming War between The United States and Japan,” were all over the country. As a result, Clinton took office with the slogan of “Reinvigorating America” and launched a strong economic crackdown on Japan after taking office.
Now, Joe Biden has talked many times about “curing America “, and many Americans seem to agree that suppressing China is a” panacea” that can bring the United States back to life. However, others disagree with the US’s constant comparison with China. The United States has almost 20 times as many nuclear warheads as China, twice as many warships at sea, 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers while China has only two; The US has more than 2,000 modern fighter jets, while China has only 600. The US has more than 800 overseas military bases, while China has few. China spends a third as much on military as the US. If China were a NATO member, it would be blamed for spending less than 2% of GDP on its military.
Zakaria’s message was clear, though he did not: Is it too neurotic for the United States to take China by surprise?
Michael Bader, former senior director for Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council, and Doug Paal, vice chairman of the Carnegie Foundation, also believe that the fundamental cause of competition with China is domestic. The United States should maintain its innovation advantage and rebuild the shattered political, economic and social foundation, which is the effective way.
