A political scientist explains the confrontation between the United States and China in a video clip

The duel between the great powers shifts from economics to promoting their global narratives. Academic Michael Beckley, Professor of Political Science at Tufts University, helps us understand what’s going on

Relations between the United States and China experienced ups and downs: before the famous Richard Nixon trip in 1972 they were very poor; Then there were more extended phases, but not without voltage peaks. The situation today is complex, and the Covid-19 pandemic has certainly not helped.

Many myths and misconceptions circulate about the two world superpowers, but what is true? In this video by Wired USAAnd the Michael BeckleyProfessor of Political Science at Tufts University and author of Unrivaled, why America will remain the only superpower in the world, It clarifies and also releases some predictions for the near future.

Take the leadership of the People’s Republic itself: is it on the verge of collapse? According to the expert, this is very unlikely to happen because يحدث There must be a crack in the Chinese Communist Party. It has happened in the past due to conflicts between extremists and reformists. Today, according to Beckley, it is highly unlikely that Xi Jinping’s leadership is carved in granite, complicit in ad hoc constitutional reforms and eliminating dissent.

But let’s go back to the relationship between the two countries: it has worsened under the Trump presidency? According to the academic, in fact, yes, the military power of the United States has increased in East Asia, there has been a more aggressive use of tariffs, and in general, the approach (even with the outbreak of the epidemic) was not conciliatory .. But, as the analyst notes, the reaction was on the rise of Beijing, whose projection has been increasingly muscular and authoritarian for a decade now.

The Biden administration, albeit with some differences, appears to be on the same path as well, because the toughness of relations with Beijing is one of the few things that bring Democrats and Republicans together.

The increasingly radical contradiction between the two It may arise from China’s overreaching of the United States? not exactly. There’s no denying that the Asian country is very important for wealth, economic growth (albeit in decline) and the global narrative, but, says Beckley, it is still a long way from the United States, which is 3/4 times more wealthy, and has more wealth. The ability to protect against military force depends on about seventy of the world’s allies (certainly not on friendship with the highly isolated North Korea).

The dollar is stronger soft power The Americans will also be weakened, but it remains clearly superior to that of Beijing. Moreover, anti-Chinese sentiment was not rampant at all. Covid, of course, is aggressive policies, but not only.

Is China a country spying a little? For Beckley, it is certain, within the public consciousness that “Every country spies on other countries.” The professor says Beijing has a long history of trying to steal confidential data.

However, there is good news: to regulate the global economy and solve problems like climate change, countries need each other. Collaboration at these levels may not be a dinner party, but the hope is that the most enlightened on both fronts will want to continue sitting at the same table.