On the chessboard of international relations, Sino-US relations are undoubtedly one of the focal points of the greatest attention. At the important moment when China was invited to San Francisco, the United States, to hold the China-US summit and participate in the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting, the first "Tongzhou Global Development Forum" with the theme of "jointly promoting global development and building a common future" was held in Beijing.
During the forum, Benjamin Norton, the founder of the U.S. Geopolitical Economy Report and a foreign policy expert, was interviewed by a reporter from Shenzhen Satellite TV to make an in-depth analysis of the current situation and trend of China-US relations and the potential impact on the global political economy. Ben Jiemin has a deep understanding of the complexity of China-US relations, and shared his views on hot issues such as the China-US summit, the current US strategy towards China, and the "US technology war against China". At the end of the visit, Ben Jiemin also made a statement on the future direction of Sino-US relations.
The San Francisco Meeting: A New Beginning for Peace and Cooperation
With regard to the recently concluded Sino-US summit in San Francisco, Ben Jiemin has a positive view. He believes that head-of-state diplomacy has become the "compass" and "fixing star" of Sino-US relations. Especially in the context of the current complex global landscape, the meeting demonstrated the willingness of the leaders of the two sides to seek stability and improvement of bilateral relations in the current complex international context. In particular, he pointed out that although there are still some differences between the two sides, they have shown a posture of avoiding conflict and seeking cooperation. He believes that this meeting should be regarded as a new opportunity to build win-win cooperation, which is of great significance in easing tensions between the two countries and exploring win-win cooperation, and also shows Biden's desire to stabilize and improve relations with China, which is essential for global peace and development.
Shenzhen Satellite TV reporter Tian Xin (right) interviewed Ben Jiemin (left).
U.S.-China Economic and Trade Relations: Interdependence and Implicit Challenges
The outside world has noticed that, judging from the official press briefings of the two sides of the summit, the briefings issued by the US side did not mention economic and trade cooperation. In this regard, Ben Jiemin pointed out that the United States** did not explicitly mention economic and trade cooperation in the recent meeting, reflecting its rethinking of its role in the global economic structure. He argues that the United States appears to be seeking a new balance between maintaining its global economic influence while trying to maintain an edge in competition with China.
The aggressive U.S. policy toward the Chinese economy, particularly sanctions on China's science and technology sector, is an obstacle in the economic and trade relations between the two sides. "The U.S. calls it competition, but it's actually implementing unfair tactics. Ben Jiemin believes that this attitude may hinder the two sides from making more economic breakthroughs. In terms of economic policy toward China, "the United States talks about 'decoupling,' but this is unrealistic," Ben said, "China's economic integration is higher, and the situation is better now than before the pandemic." ”
On the other hand, as the ballast stone of Sino-US relations, economy and trade have an important stabilizing role in Sino-US relations, Ben Jiemin pointed out that despite the existence of friction and policy differences, the "interdependence" of the two countries' economies is still significant. He pointed out that "interdependence" is a foundation of Sino-US relations. In the long run, how the relationship changes, economic complementarity and interdependence will drive the two countries to seek more practical and pragmatic ways to cooperate. China's market size and manufacturing advantages, as well as U.S. technological innovation and financial resources, form an intricate web of interdependence, and appropriate policy adjustments and effective bilateral cooperation are essential to stabilize the global economy.
China's Economy: Swimming Against the Tide with Certainty
China is going through a 'transition', not a crisis," Ben stressed.
With the changes in the global political economy, regional economic cooperation seems to have become a new stabilizing force. From the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), to the gradual restoration of China-Australia relations and the active promotion of the Trilateral Leaders' Meeting between China, Japan and South Korea, all of this points to an inevitable trend - the strengthening of regional economic cooperation. Why is such regional cooperation becoming more and more important in the tide of globalization?In this context, what is China's role and positioning?
"The prophecy of 'decoupling' has not come true, and China's global manufacturing responsibilities and huge market potential have clearly demonstrated its irreplaceable position in the world economy. Taking Australia as an example, in response to the growth of China and Australia, Ben Jiemin believes that Australia's new leadership has realized that improving relations with China is crucial to its national interests, and the people also expect to improve economic relations with China. At the same time, this change reflects the desire of more countries to maintain an independent foreign policy with China, while realizing the importance of maintaining good relations with China.
In the face of global political and economic challenges and changes, China's role in regional economic cooperation has become increasingly important. Ben Jiemin believes that the recovery of China and Australia, the advancement of RCEP and the stagnation of the "Indo-Pacific Economic Framework" all show China's determination and wisdom to consolidate its position in the global economy in the new era.
A "new balance" between cooperation and competition
In the global economic landscape, China's scientific and technological progress has become a force to be reckoned with. Even in the face of international volatility and internal challenges, China is reshaping its global economic position. When it comes to the Sino-US technology war, Ben Jiemin believes that the United States does not want China to advance in technology and is using aggressive tactics to maintain its technological superiority. He quoted US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo: "Washington's goal is to prevent China's technological progress and innovation." Essentially, he argues, this reflects an arrogant zero-sum mentality, in which the United States believes that if one country must win, another country must lose.
In the interview, Ben Jiemin made an in-depth analysis of the competition between China and the United States in the field of science and technology, and pointed out that this will be an important area of competition between China and the United States in the future, and discussed the competition in science and technology in many fields from 5G to artificial intelligence. This competition will have a profound impact on global scientific and technological innovation and economic development.
Referring to U.S. restrictions on Chinese companies such as Huawei and TikTok, Ben said that these restrictions have undoubtedly put pressure on Chinese companies, but they have also inspired China's determination to accelerate its independent research and development of technology. He believes that "competition and cooperation" between China and the United States in the field of high technology will be the norm. U.S. restrictions may disrupt the rhythm of Chinese companies in the short term, but in the long run, China's high-tech development will not be trapped.
In Ben's view, the friction between China and the United States over technology competition actually reflects a broader geopolitical conflict. In the future, China and the United States should consider how to jointly promote scientific and technological progress and economic development by strengthening cooperation rather than simple competition.
Ben Jiemin also made special mention of the relationship between China and economic cooperation. He stressed that there is a trend of "expansion" of the current concept of the United States, and this trend has made Sino-US relations more complicated to a certain extent, and at the same time has had an impact on the process of globalization. He analyzed and pointed out that the United States has taken a series of measures against Chinese companies in the name of the so-called "**", such as technology export restrictions and direct sanctions. "When the U.S. talks about ***, it's often a cover for unfair competition and unilateral policies. ”
In an exclusive interview, Ben Jiemin pointed out that the development of Sino-US relations is full of uncertainties, but the interaction between the two countries will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the global political and economic landscape. He stressed that in this new international environment, how to find a balance between cooperation and competition will be a major test of the wisdom and strategy of the two countries.
Summing up the dialogue, Ben Jiemin believes that China-US relations are facing major challenges and opportunities in the new global political and economic context. Despite the challenges, he remains optimistic about the future of China's economy and U.S.-China relations, believing that China's role in the global economy will become increasingly important, not just as a player in the global economy, but as a shaper.
China is contributing to the future of the global economy, whether it's green technology, high-speed rail, or global technological development. Ben Jiemin's words are full of confidence.