How is China changing its foreign policy to counter moves to ‘contain’ it…? -The Conversation

At the NATO summit last week, members issued a final statement criticizing China’s coercive policies, which they said challenge the bloc’s interests, security and values.

However, NATO members have pledged “constructive engagement” with the fast-rising superpower.

However, Beijing reacted strongly to the statement. He accused the alliance to “smear and lie” about China and warned against NATO outreach efforts in Asia-Pacific.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in forceful terms:

NATO must abandon the outdated Cold War and zero-sum mentality, give up its blind faith in military might and the misguided practice of seeking absolute security, stop the dangerous attempt to destabilize Europe and Asia-Pacific, and stop to find pretexts for its continued expansion.

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How the United States is challenging China

China’s strong reaction reflects its serious concern about the global challenges it faces. These include:

• he growing networks of US-led security alliances and associations, such as Quad and AUKUS, whose goal is to restrain, if not contain, China

• US and EU policies to reduce risk and diversify their supply chains to reduce their dependence on China

• and more restrictive export control regulations The United States has enacted transfers or exchanges of high technology. These are meant to prevent China from gaining semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and slowing its progress in quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

Despite growing concern over these challenges, Beijing is hopeful that these US-led networks of alliances and partnerships will remain mosaic given their diversity of interestspriorities and commitments.

China also retains significant advantages given its close economic ties with America’s allies and partners. This will influence whether the US can successfully achieve what Beijing believes to be its goal of containing China.

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China’s strategy in response

Analysts have disputed whether Beijing is smart and patient enough to be able to pursue a wedge strategy to divide the US and its allies, or whether its misjudgment and arrogance could cause it to become overconfident and even arrogant.

In fact, Beijing’s wolf warrior diplomacy and assertive policies in recent years have only served to help The United States and its allies are moving closer to counter these actions.

Beijing may have learned its lessons. It is now embracing a more proactive and confident diplomacy to counter the US encirclement. I have observed at least four tactics when it comes to this changing foreign policy.

1) China is focusing on the region and building on its strengths

Beijing acknowledges that it should focus its diplomatic energies on Asia given its importance to China’s security and economic interests.

It is deepening its economic ties with ASEAN, the 10-nation regional bloc, while supporting ASEAN’s centrality in the region’s security structures. The Southeast Asian group fears being drawn into a US-China conflict and being forced to choose sides. He is also concerned that US-led initiatives such as the Quad could diminish their role in the region.

At the same time, China has been active in promoting the ASEAN-sponsored initiative Regional Comprehensive Economic Association. He believes that this group offers a more inclusive and cooperative approach to regional economic cooperation. The group includes ASEAN members, China and various US allies including South Korea, Japan and Australia.

Beijing advertises it as an attractive alternative to American patronage. Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. This group, which includes 14 countries in the region, signed an agreement last month to make their supply chains more resilient.

2) Beijing is boosting its diplomatic efforts with Europe

Since lifting its COVID border restrictions, Beijing has welcomed world leaders, hosted business groups and promoted business and investment opportunities in China.

Europe, in particular, has been the focus of Beijing’s recent diplomacy. Prime Minister Li Qiang’s first major international journey since taking office he has been in Germany and France last month, where he has emphasized economic opportunity over geopolitical differences, partnership over rivalry.

European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have also turned regular features in Beijing.

These efforts are allowing China to deepen its economic ties with Europe By doing so, Beijing hopes to undermine US efforts to develop a transatlantic approach to China, including policies to de-risk or de-link their economies from China.

3) China supports Russia, for now

Beijing is likely upset, if not shocked, by the fiasco that Russia’s war in Ukraine has turned into. However, it is determined that now is not the time to abandon Russian President Vladimir Putin.

From energy supply to military technology cooperation, Russia remains a vital strategic partner for China. The last thing China wants is a Russia decimated, leaving him alone to face the US and its alliance networks and security groups. China would also not want to deal with any potential threat from Russia, given their long shared border.

Beijing has carefully, if not convincingly, portrayed itself as a neutral bystander in the conflict, interested in ending it. China is also taking advantage of Russia’s precarious position to expand and consolidate its influence in Central Asiawhile respecting Russia’s traditional ties to the region.

4) China touts itself as a world leader

Finally, China has become more confident and active in promoting its global governance models in security, development, and community building.

Some efforts are still in the development stages, such as their Global Security Initiativewhile others are more specific. For example, Beijing sees itself as a global mediator after its success in brokerage a truce between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March.

Beijing also continues to promote its favorite multilateral institutions, from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to the BRICS group, which currently includes China, Brazil, Russia, South Africa and India. beijing has welcome expanding the group.

Along with its ambitious and controversial Belt and Road initiative, Beijing believes it can offer an alternative to US-led groupings like the Quad. Trusting in institutions In this way, Beijing can further its interests globally and avoid direct confrontation with the US.