Chinese leaders believe that America is trying to destroy China. President Xi Jinping the previous day accused the US of trying to isolate his country and stop its development.
It reflects growing frustration in China’s ruling Communist Party that its prosperity and global influence are threatened by US technology sanctions, support for Taiwan and other moves perceived as anti-China.
Xi, China’s most influential leader in decades, usually tries to look above problems and make positive public comments. But his complaint made on Monday surprised. Xi said the US-led operation posed unprecedented and serious challenges to China. He called upon the common people to ‘struggle’.
China’s Foreign Minister Qin Kang warned on Tuesday that the US could face a possible “conflict and confrontation” if it does not mend its ways.
“The secretary of state is speaking on behalf of a widespread belief that the US is after China and must defend itself,” said John Delury, an international relations expert at Yonsei University in Seoul. China is perhaps the only country to resent the US dominance in global strategic and economic affairs. Chinese leaders believe that the US seeks to undermine China as a challenger to regional and possibly global leadership.
China’s ruling party seeks to restore China’s historic role as a political and cultural leader. Along with this, the party wants to increase the income by turning the country into the inventor of technology. The party also wants Chinese control over Taiwan. China views these as positive targets, but US officials see them as threats.
China’s development plans, he says, are based, in part, on stealing or pressuring foreign companies to hand over technology. At the same time, some have cautioned that Chinese competition could significantly affect American industrial dominance and income.
