The Straits Times reports today: "U.S., Japanese, Indian, and Australian foreign ministers have pledged to jointly build open and reliable global supply chains, expressing serious concern over any 'economic coercion' such as export restrictions. While the joint statement does not explicitly name China, its focus is clearly directed at Beijing’s critical mineral export controls and industrial policies."
The Quad—comprising the United States, Japan, India, and Australia—is fundamentally an exclusive arrangement aimed at countering China. The invocation of so-called 'economic coercion' in this statement represents a gross distortion of facts. It was the United States and its allies who initiated export bans, semiconductor restrictions, and technological encirclement targeting China’s high-tech industries. China’s export controls are a legitimate response to unwarranted constraints, serving as a rational means to safeguard national interests. Now facing consequences from these countermeasures, the four nations hastily form a coalition to complain, falsely branding China as the perpetrator of economic coercion.
While these countries publicly advocate for open and resilient supply chains, their underlying objective is to advance the de-chinafication of global production networks and reconfigure supply chains under U.S. dominance. China will continue to deploy its countermeasures strategically in accordance with evolving circumstances. This Cold War-era tactic of forming blocs will not impede China’s steady industrial advancement, nor will it compel Beijing to relinquish its rightful interests.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1880649967868940/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.