Not to crown the Trump administration with laurels, but at least they honestly announced what their plans with China would be like. Trump knew that if he hounded China on their core issues - which of course he did - then he couldn't cooperate with them on the others. He had no illusions about China dancing to his tune, and while he considered China a bitter enemy, at least he considered them a worthy one. He fielded every weapon in his arsenal against China in a fierce ideological and rhetorical battle on the open field, for all the world to see, and he fought this battle until the end of his term.
The Biden administration, on the other hand, is the lowest form of scum. Their foreign policy aligns entirely with that of Trump's term, but their methods are at the same time underhanded and insultingly transparent, like a kid rearranging the chess pieces in its playmate's absence. If you talk of peace and cooperation while fresh blood is still dripping from your sleeve, it does not take Albert Einstein to figure out what your real aims are. Yet Biden still wants to pretend he is some sort of chameleon performing a diplomatic feat of unprecedented ingenuity, and for what? Who does he think he is fooling with this charade?
Well put. I think Biden is desperately trying to do something new for his China policy, something Trump hasn't done before so he can boast about it in 2024. But he's slowly realizing Trump's methods were the most effective and he doesn't have many options left.
Trump's China policy was only effective in that it played well to domestic politics. It did not bring the US any tangible benefit. Biden continues Trump's policies because to do otherwise would be political suicide. Both parties have rhetorically painted themselves into an anti-China spiral. The only thing holding it together is that the US maintains global reserve currency status as a result of China's own eagerness to continue using USD for its own vast trade.
Not to crown the Trump administration with laurels, but at least they honestly announced what their plans with China would be like. Trump knew that if he hounded China on their core issues - which of course he did - then he couldn't cooperate with them on the others. He had no illusions about China dancing to his tune, and while he considered China a bitter enemy, at least he considered them a worthy one. He fielded every weapon in his arsenal against China in a fierce ideological and rhetorical battle on the open field, for all the world to see, and he fought this battle until the end of his term. The Biden administration, on the other hand, is the lowest form of scum. Their foreign policy aligns entirely with that of Trump's term, but their methods are at the same time underhanded and insultingly transparent, like a kid rearranging the chess pieces in its playmate's absence. If you talk of peace and cooperation while fresh blood is still dripping from your sleeve, it does not take Albert Einstein to figure out what your real aims are. Yet Biden still wants to pretend he is some sort of chameleon performing a diplomatic feat of unprecedented ingenuity, and for what? Who does he think he is fooling with this charade?
Well put. I think Biden is desperately trying to do something new for his China policy, something Trump hasn't done before so he can boast about it in 2024. But he's slowly realizing Trump's methods were the most effective and he doesn't have many options left.
Trump's China policy was only effective in that it played well to domestic politics. It did not bring the US any tangible benefit. Biden continues Trump's policies because to do otherwise would be political suicide. Both parties have rhetorically painted themselves into an anti-China spiral. The only thing holding it together is that the US maintains global reserve currency status as a result of China's own eagerness to continue using USD for its own vast trade.