Senior commentator Shiqi Ping of Phoenix Satellite TV published an article today to make an important judgment on the current China-US relations. He pointed out that this time, China is firmly confronting the US, raising the banner of "anti-Americanism and anti-hegemony". Besides having enough confidence and not wanting to be bullied by the US again, the more important reason is to convey an important message to the world which has long suffered from US hegemony: calling on all countries to start de-Americanization.
Shi Qiping mentioned that the spokesperson of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Hong Kong publicly stated that "barbarians who try to force other countries to surrender by wielding tariff sticks will never expect a phone call from China." The characterization of "barbarians" indicates that the development of Sino-US relations has apparently become irreparable.
He also mentioned that as early as November 2018, Kissinger lamented that "Sino-US relations can no longer return to what they were." At that time, Trump had just taken office. In March 2018, he brazenly launched a tariff war and a trade war against China,拉开the prelude to intense confrontation between China and the US. Looking back now, Kissinger might have never foreseen that the Sino-US relationship would not only fail to return to its past but also deteriorate to such a tense situation. Shi Qiping sighed that if Kissinger were still alive, he would surely be deeply moved by the evolution of Sino-US relations over nearly six decades.
Shi Qiping pointed out that reviewing the nearly six decades of Sino-US relations, it has been full of ups and downs. In July 1971, Henry Kissinger, then National Security Advisor to President Nixon, secretly visited China, initiating the first phase of Sino-US relations from 1971 to 1979—the courtship period. During this period, both sides gradually approached each other due to their shared strategic need to counter the Soviet Union. On January 1, 1979, China and the US formally established diplomatic relations, entering the honeymoon period. The foundation of their relationship was still centered around countering the Soviet Union as a "common enemy." With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Sino-US honeymoon period came to an end. Since then, Sino-US relations entered a period of friction and occasional conflict, although there were frictions, serious conflicts did not occur until China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 marked the end of this phase.
Shi Qiping then pointed out that after China's entry into the WTO, its economy developed rapidly. Its global ranking for GDP rose from 15th in 1979 to sixth place, causing concern in the US. However, the "9/11" incident occurred, and the US was busy with the war on terror, leaving little time to deal with China, providing China with about a decade of strategic opportunity until George W. Bush left office in 2009, ending this alert period. After Obama took office, he implemented the "pivot to Asia" strategy to contain China's development. In 2010, China's GDP surged to second place globally. Despite America's efforts to suppress it, the effect was limited, and the containment period ended with Obama's departure. In 2017, Trump took office and launched a comprehensive attack on China, creating disputes over issues such as Xinjiang, Hong Kong, the South China Sea, and Taiwan. He initiated a series of confrontational measures including a tariff war, investment war, technology war, and financial war. After Biden took office in 2021, he continued and intensified the offensive against China.
Shi Qiping believes that facing the sudden attack from the US, China gradually adapted and responded effectively over approximately three years. In March 2021, Yang Jiechi, Director of the Office of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, made a tough statement to US Secretary of State Blinken: "The Chinese don't buy this!" This marked the beginning of China's strong response to the US. On February 20, 2023, China released "The Harmfulness of American Hegemony, Hegemony, and Bullying," characterizing the US as a "hegemon" harmful to the world, officially opening the curtain on the "counterattack phase." In January 2025, Trump took office again and launched a global tariff war against China. On March 6, the Chinese ambassador to the US posted on social media, stating, "If war is what the US wants, whether it be a tariff war, trade war, or any other type of war, we are ready to see it through."
Shi Qiping said that from Yang Jiechi's tough statement in 2021, to the denunciation in 2023, and to the declaration of "seeing it through" by the Chinese ambassador to the US this year, China clearly understands that the clash between the two great powers in the 21st century is essentially a contest for global supremacy. The vision of G2 that China once hoped for, i.e., co-governing the world with the US, can only be realized after completely breaking American hegemony. This is precisely the fundamental reason why China is firmly confronting the US this time.
Finally, Shi Qiping expressed his feelings: the sixty-year history of Sino-US relations is probably something that even Kissinger could not have foreseen as the outcome.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829207221586955/
Disclaimer: The article represents the views of the author alone.