Are the US and China frenemies now? Perspective from Nicholas Burns, US Ambassador to China
Apr 13, 2024
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Former US Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, and host Ian Bremmer discuss the complex US-China relationship, exploring areas of cooperation, aggression in the South China Sea, economic challenges in China, and the future of this critical bilateral relationship.
US-China race for military superiority driven by AI and quantum systems in Indo-Pacific region.
Efforts to align on common interests like crisis management and climate change amidst competitive US-China relations.
Deep dives
US-China Military Superiority Race
There is a competitive race for military development superiority, driven by new technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum systems. Both China and the United States aim to maintain military superiority, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.
Thawing US-China Relations
US-China relations saw a slight thaw after President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping's meeting in San Francisco. Despite commitments to re-engage diplomatically, trust remains low due to tit-for-tat tariffs and trade restrictions, including the US pushing to ban China-owned TikTok.
Stabilizing the US-China Relationship
The San Francisco summit established vital diplomatic channels between the US and China, aiming at crisis management and cooperation in areas like drug control and military communication. Although the relationship is competitive, efforts are made to align on common interests like climate change.
US-China De-Risking Strategy
Both the US and China are involved in de-risking critical technologies for national security reasons. While the US aims to maintain a level playing field and protect sensitive technology, China also seeks self-sufficiency in crucial areas, leading to tensions around dual-use technology trade.
US Ambassador to China Nick Burns joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World Podcast to look at the complex and contentious state of the US-China relationship. What do the world's two biggest economies and strongest militaries agree on, and where are they still miles apart? After Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met at a summit in San Francisco last November, it seemed like frosty relations were starting to thaw. But while China and the US have committed to re-engage diplomatically after the 2023 Chinese spy balloon low-point, there is still a lot of daylight–and no trust–between the two. So how stable is the US-China relationship, really? Are we adversaries? Frenemies? Toxic co-dependents? Burns and Bremmer discuss Taiwan, aggression in the South China Sea, China’s economic woes and national security push, and where one of the most consequential bilateral relationships between any two countries in the world goes from here.