In an upcoming meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, foreign policy expert Gordon Chang argues that the gathering should not be taking place at all. Chang, a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute, highlights China’s lack of consistent communication and its military buildup that poses a threat to American lives as reasons to question the meeting’s necessity.
Chang points out that regardless of established communication channels, China engages with the United States only when it wants to, making the meeting with President Biden a potentially futile endeavor. He emphasizes that the United States is inadvertently fueling China’s military growth, which is specifically designed to harm Americans. Chang firmly states, “This is just morally and strategically wrong.”
The meeting between President Biden and President Xi is scheduled to take place at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco. While the White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, refers to the meeting as a space for intense diplomacy and tough conversation, Chang argues for a complete decoupling from China. He warns that China’s willingness to engage in discussions is merely a result of its slowing economic growth.
Chang acknowledges the importance of arms control discussions with China but insists that any agreement must be verifiable. He criticizes China’s refusal to disclose the size of its arsenal and states that an unverifiable agreement would not be in the best interests of the United States or the international community. He describes the idea of holding discussions with China as “just insane” and believes that the Biden administration is not ready to confront the harsh reality of China’s geopolitics.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is set to meet with China’s vice premier prior to the presidential gathering. Yellen recently published an op-ed in The Washington Post, suggesting that America and China can work and compete with each other. Yellen emphasizes the importance of diverse supply chains while cautioning against complete economic decoupling, which she deems economically disastrous and against national interests.
Chang argues that the United States has been deferring necessary actions against China in the hope of diplomatic engagement. He criticizes the administration for pursuing a meeting that should not take place and asserts that Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, should be held accountable for genocide and crimes against humanity rather than being invited onto American soil.
In conclusion, the upcoming meeting between President Biden and President Xi has garnered criticism from foreign policy expert Gordon Chang. He strongly opposes the meeting, citing China’s selective communication and its military buildup as reasons to question its necessity. Chang argues for a complete decoupling from China and asserts that the Biden administration is not adequately prepared to confront China’s geopolitical threats.
