Xi Shouldn’t Miss His Moment With Biden
The Chinese leader may talk tough about foreign adversaries but this could be his best chance to halt the slide in relations with the U.S.
Biden may be an even more formidable foe for China.
Photographer: Lee Celano/Getty ImagesFive months into his presidency, U.S. President Joe Biden is in no rush to change the substance of his predecessor’s China policy. He has maintained high tariffs on more than $300 billion of Chinese imports, expanded sanctions on Chinese technology companies and gone further than former President Donald Trump by reviving dormant trade and investment talks with Taiwan despite Chinese opposition.
To Chinese President Xi Jinping, who on Thursday warned “foreign forces” that they would “crack their heads and spill blood” on a “Great Wall of steel” if they tried to bully China — Biden probably seems no better than Trump. The two are “beasts from the same hill” (yiqiu zhihe), as a Chinese proverb says. In fact, Biden might be an even more formidable foe: Unlike Trump, who alienated allies with insults, threats and tariffs, Biden has repaired America’s alliances and succeeded in forming a relatively united front against China. He commands far higher confidence than Xi in advanced economies.