USA

After the Trump-Xi summit, China, not America, is on the back foot

The Chinese Communist Party tirelessly promotes a narrative to non-Western peoples: First, the United States is declining; second, China’s rise and dominance is secured; Thirdly, the eclipse of the West is inevitable.

as Xi Jinping I met with President Trump this week said the Chinese leader wanted the meeting to appear as if a faded and embittered United States was continuing to pass the torch to a rising and generous China.

Some Americans were worried about what Trump, preoccupied with the Iran war, might carelessly concede to in Beijing, even if there was no grand bargain on the table. But a desperate Xi grew increasingly anxious as he faced mounting domestic criticism for his overreach and harsh mismanagement of his country’s politics and economy.

This is because Trump has inadvertently but effectively disrupted China’s carefully crafted script about America’s impotence and indifference. China, rather than the United States, is lagging behind.

Beijing weaponizes history to advance its narrative and claims to be a victim of the West. His historical perspective can be persuasive because it mixes factual elements with significant lies and misrepresentations. It starts with so-called century of humiliation It was in the hands of Western and Japanese powers from the mid-1800s, followed by the Chinese Communist Party’s hallowed mission to restore China to greatness and supremacy.

Xi’s idea of China’s revitalization is fueled by this narrative. In his framework, the end of World War II left the world in an unnatural state. By a historical coincidence, America became the dominant power. From this position, the United States has wisely built and supported the institutions that have given it a unique global role and importance.

Especially, Bretton Woods system It established a new international monetary regime backed by the US dollar, and organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank regulated finance and development. Western Europe and a select group of Asian allies such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan were the privileged beneficiaries.

According to Xi, history is returning to its natural state under pressure from the Chinese Communist Party. Beijing does not deny that it has benefited from the Bretton Woods institutions, especially after its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001.

But Xi claims that China is changing these institutions from within. Beijing is successfully challenging the West and making the global system fairer so that the non-Western poor can prosper. Dealing with Washington and increasingly surpassing America in power and influence are crucial steps that can revitalize China and supposedly help others escape and transcend the global system the West has built.

In promoting this narrative, Beijing believed it was making a compelling case for China to increase its power and superiority; And at America’s expense. We live according to Beijing big changes Unseen in a century like Xi he said The nation with several times greater industrial, manufacturing and technological capability will win the economic and geopolitical competition. Xi believes that China can boast of its superior performance in this competition.

To be sure, China has grown rich by cynically gaming the global economic system. It was gaining influence in global energy markets traditionally dominated by Western allies. It was gaining ground in traditional American strongholds. Asia, Middle East and even Latin America. China’s axis partners such as Russia, Iran and North Korea were preparing for war, intimidating their neighbors and creating major problems for America and its allies.

Meanwhile, America’s allies refused to take their own security seriously and were spending more money than ever on bloated welfare systems. In short, the American-made world was in trouble. It was spent more, maneuvered better, thought better and played better.

Judging by his statements about China’s impending rise, this is a record, according to Xi. But Trump disrupted Beijing’s strategy.

Xi had not anticipated that Trump would be so willing to buck convention, take big risks, and reverse all of these pillars of China’s growing advantage. Not all of Trump’s recent decisions have to do with China, but China still finds itself in a worse strategic position because of them.

Xi faced a challenging environment during his meeting with Trump. The United States and its allies in Europe and Asia rearming. Washington and Israel are now using decisions in the Middle East against China and Russia. Beijing’s influence in Latin America has greatly diminished. Meanwhile, America is reindustrializing and resetting the trade relationship that illegitimately and disproportionately benefits China.

Trump or his successors may eventually find that the costs of disruption and disruption are much greater than expected. It is also too early to claim that Trump has actually reversed the structural trends and advantages that China has spent decades building. However, it is undeniable that Xi has experienced an unexpected loss of control and authority.

After the meeting with Trump, the path to dominance is far less assured than the Chinese leader recently believed.

John Lee, Ph.D. He is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC. He is a former national security adviser to the Australian government.

Head to The Hill for the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video.