TEHRAN (FNA)- US President Trump has once again issued a series of accusations against the Chinese government, accusing them of destroying American industry, of stealing important industrial secrets.
He had also announced the US pullout from the World Health Organization, accusing China of controlling it. This is leading to banning some foreign nationals, and restrictions on Chinese students.
The big topic though is China’s recent policy shift in Hong Kong, which Trump and other US officials say meant that Hong Kong is no longer to be considered autonomous for the sake of US law, and will lose also of its special status treatments related to autonomy. This is also going to mean the US limiting Hong Kong’s access to US technologies.
This is mostly just a continuation of US acrimony against China, which is leading to their worst relationship in decades, and warnings of a new Cold War. Make no mistake, China will impose some retaliatory measures against the US over this.
While some of this is likely to be reflected in more trade disputes, the US naval operations in the South China Sea continue to risk military confrontations. Trump accused China of illegally claiming parts of the Pacific Ocean. More US ships approaching China-claimed islands is almost certain to lead to China confronting them. What that leads to remains to be seen.
No doubt Trump and his administration officials are lying about their true intentions. The vast majority of their geopolitical intentions remains completely in the shadows and is never subjected to meaningful examination - which only increases the chances of regional uncertainties and catastrophic consequences.
Behind the clouds, however, Washington’s containment goals are wishes, being fought for the worst possible reasons. The tussle is just a wish, without a definite and practical outcome. It comes from the egos of a decaying hegemonic power and a narcissistic president that don’t live in a reality-based universe.
History shows us that those who launch regional frictions and wars are always defeated. History also tells us that China can protect itself in any escalating conflict. It could simply go beyond tariffs to increase pressure on the US by using rare earths. The biggest holder of US government debt, with about 1.12 trillion dollars, could also dump US Treasuries.
It shouldn’t escape attention that if President Xi Jinping ordered Beijing to target the US economy this way, it would do so and, were that to happen, there can be little doubt about the ultimate negative outcome for the US. It would upset American markets and push up interest rates and borrowing costs.
President Trump and his necon faction should stop highlighting the positive aspects of their new measures. They are overblown. The pointless tussle is far less about national security and fair trade, and more about power and political hegemony.
The futile efforts made by the Trumpsters, who advocate a doctrine of permanent war, as well as their technological dictatorships, who try to push their opponents under the bus by supporting the post-colonial status quo, will go nowhere. Their dream of containing China into submission, dominating the world in financial and economic terms, and ensuring that Beijing would never challenge their agenda, will never come true.
Here is a final reminder at the global level. The current spat with China, including the large-scale tariffs and sanctions against Chinese companies and officials, the sabotage of global economy, and the ramifications on global supply chains is a perfect smoke screen; a control mechanism and desperate effort to prevent America’s inevitable decline in technological and economic hegemony.
This and other desperate attempts will progress in various ways and forms until Trump, who has transformed the rules of the game and set up the US for a spectacular fall with lies, misleading claims and ambitious agendas, wins electorally in 2020. Only the willfully ignorant expect that some odd deal will arrive in time to stop the inevitable and the ensuing backlash from happening.
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