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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThat Was Fast: Blowups With China and Russia in Biden's First 60 Days
WASHINGTON Sixty days into his administration, President Biden got a taste this week of what the next four years may look like: a new era of bitter superpower competition, marked by perhaps the worst relationship Washington has had with Russia since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and with China since it opened diplomatic relations with the United States.
It has been brewing for years, as President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and President Xi Jinping of China took sharp turns toward authoritarianism. But it blew up in open fashion this week, after Mr. Biden agreed with the proposition that Mr. Putin is a killer and the Chinese, meeting with the United States for the first time since the new administration took office, lectured Americans about the error of their arrogant view that the world wants to replicate their freedoms.
A lot of it was for show, on both sides, with cameras whirring. All of the participants were playing to their domestic audiences, the Biden team included. But it was not entirely an act.
While the Cold War has not resumed there is little of the nuclear menace of that era, and the current competition is over technology, cyberconflict and influence operations the scenes playing out now have echoes of the bad old days. As a moment in theatrical diplomacy, the meeting on Thursday and Friday in Anchorage between the Americans and Chinese was reminiscent of when the Soviet premier, Nikita S. Khrushchev, made headlines around the world 60 years ago by banging his shoe on a desk of the United Nations and shouting about American imperialists.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/20/us/politics/china-russia-biden.html
TomCADem
(17,390 posts)... in election interference. With respect to China, the tension is not only due to Trump and Republicans trying to ratchet the pressure up, but because Trump pretty much disengaged the U.S. from institutions like the WHO and ceded leadership to China in the Pacific Rim. So, just because Biden was elected President, it is doubtful that China is going to just cede leadership back to the U.S.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)from the Pacific Rim. Trump was totally negligent there, he allowed China to expand its influence and intimidate allies like Japan and Australia.
It is a work in progress, there will be steps forward and steps backward. We should not expect China to give up its newly gained influence in the region, even if it was gained by intimidation.
I believe the way that we need to deal with China is acknowledge that it is a first world country now, and point out that first world countries have responsibilities that go beyond their own national interests.
As far as Putin is concerned, he has either been involved with or turned a blind eye to the murder or attempted murder of critics and reporters.
taxi
(1,896 posts)After seeing that a China based construction company built an entirely new capital city [complex] outside of Cairo, I was interested in finding out the extent of China's reach. At first glance my impulse was to start tallying the billions of dollars, and at second glance decided to avoid that large a task. Closer to China in the Philippines, Russian vaccines will be purchased, sea lanes are being redefined and eliminated, and communist camps abound.
edit[]
Officials say the city will eventually include social housing and is meant to finance itself through land sales, though it is unclear how much revenue these have generated.
Of the $25 billion (S$33 billion) cost for the first phase, about $3 billion is being spent on the government district, said Husseiny.
Some international financing has been secured for rail links, and a $3 billion Chinese loan has helped fund the business district, built by China State Construction Engineering Corp (CSCEC).
StClone
(11,688 posts)The only reason shit hole trail-park Russia is mentioned in this context is because they have Nukes. Russia should never be called a Superpower.
Item: While the population of Russia is almost five times that of Texas, Texas outpaces Russia when it comes to GDP. Russia's gross domestic product amounts to about 1.3 trillion, while the Lone Star State's comes to about 1.7 trillion. That means Texas crushes Russia when it comes to per capita GDP.
ProfessorGAC
(65,212 posts)They're low in the middle third of countries (or high in the lower third)!
Their per capita GDP is 17.7% that of the US. ($11,585 vs. $65,298)
China's is even lower. ($10,216)
China's economic power is solely volume, given their enormous population.
Russia has no such volume advantage.
They've got nukes, but they're an economic also-ran.
A link you might like:
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?name_desc=false
Xolodno
(6,401 posts)..but you do point out an interesting conundrum. How is it a country with the GDP the size of Spain is able to do so much?
But I'm reminded, Yeltsin took IMF loans....designed to keep the country in debt, his successor paid them off asap.
Something doesn't smell right. I have a feeling Russia's (and China for that measure) GDP isn't what it seems to be. The math doesn't add up.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)The country was making good progress modernizing, until that murderous jackass came to power.
roamer65
(36,747 posts)SCO.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
http://eng.sectsco.org/
Klaralven
(7,510 posts) the SCO comprises eight member states, namely the Republic of India, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan;
the SCO counts four observer states, namely the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Mongolia;
the SCO has six dialogue partners, namely the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the Republic of Turkey, and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
http://eng.sectsco.org/about_sco/
Pakistan has put out "peace feelers" towards India.
Pakistan to India: Time to Bury the Past' for Regional Peace
Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa told a conference of experts and academics in Islamabad that their territorial dispute over Kashmir is at the heart of bilateral tensions and a lack of development in South Asia.
However, we feel that it is time to bury the past and move forward, Bajwa said. But for resumption of peace process, or meaningful dialogue, our neighbor will have to create a conducive environment, particularly in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/pakistan-india-time-bury-past-regional-peace
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization provides a venue for further cooperation.
India, Pakistan, China to participate in SCO joint anti-terrorism exercise this year
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-pakistan-china-to-participate-in-sco-joint-anti-terrorism-exercise-this-year/article34124222.ece
roamer65
(36,747 posts)The Sino-Russian alliance.
Most dictates come from Beijing. The Chinese didnt need to interfere in our election, because Moscow is doing the dirty work for them.
Klaralven
(7,510 posts)The US elections are of interest to all nations, since we, as Leader of the Free World and the Sole Super Power, tend to interfere in multiple aspects of their nations. It's sort of imposition without representation unless they run some influence campaigns.
roamer65
(36,747 posts)I didnt buy it.
My gut feeling the Chinese didnt because the Russians were already doing the alliances dirty work.
Klaralven
(7,510 posts)They have different objectives and methods.
blm
(113,100 posts)by the American wing he manipulates through the GOP.
taxi
(1,896 posts)I don't know why they don't change the title of the fairy tales and stamps story to CSO Constitution and give each member state 11 votes. The group of RATS was a nice touch too.
Mysterian
(4,595 posts)I'm damn glad President Biden understands that Russia is our enemy.
Turbineguy
(37,372 posts)in the republican party to help them.
Nearly all of them should be registered as foreign agents.
Rustyeye77
(2,736 posts)You want to make an omelette ,you got gotta break some eggs.
moondust
(20,006 posts)as the train is moved from the ditch back onto the tracks. We don't know how the previous operator got into the cab without any experience, training, or knowledge. Our apologies.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)China's all pissed off because the U.S. is going to get involved in Pacific Rim affairs again. They had four years of free ride while Trump was screwing the country over. Of course they're going to be all mad that the U.S. is reclaiming its place in the world.
alphafemale
(18,497 posts)This is what I wanted.
Friction can be good.