American political commentator Fareed Zakaria has criticized the United States’ confrontational approach toward China, suggesting that a more cooperative stance could lead to better outcomes. In an interview with Foreign Policy magazine, the CNN host and journalist discussed the ramifications of U.S. policies on global stability and the potential consequences of escalating tensions.
Zakaria highlighted that China is driven by a desire for peace, stability, and global integration, with no intention of undermining the existing international system. He argued that U.S. policies toward China have become excessively confrontational, particularly in areas such as technology bans and aggressive rhetoric.
“China’s development has largely benefited from peace, globalization, and stability,” Zakaria said. He expressed concern that certain anti-China actions, such as the chip ban, are executed in an overly confrontational manner, serving as a lesson for Democrats who may be wary of appearing weak.
He pointed out that since the Vietnam War, Democrats have often been preoccupied with not appearing weak in the eyes of the right, leading to misguided decisions. This issue, he noted, has now surfaced in U.S. policy toward China.
Zakaria referenced the 2021 high-level U.S.-China strategic dialogue held in Anchorage, Alaska, where U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a strong message on human rights to China’s foreign minister. However, Zakaria argued that in the years that followed, the U.S. failed to take substantive action, and the dialogue appeared more performative than productive.
On economic cooperation and tariff removal, Zakaria criticized the U.S. government’s wait-and-see approach. “They should have acted decisively because, regardless of what they did, Republicans would accuse them of being weak and compromising,” he said.
He suggested that if the U.S. had adopted a more cooperative attitude during the dialogue in Alaska, the outcome might have been different. “This attitude has only gradually taken shape this year, but it took a long time, and the process caused significant damage along the way,” Zakaria added.
Addressing the global shift in power dynamics, Zakaria emphasized the importance of taking BRICS countries seriously. “They represent the discontent of major powers in some important regions of the world with the existing global order, particularly with the dominance of the U.S. and its Western allies,” he said. He urged U.S. foreign policy to pay close attention to this shift.
In summarizing the current global situation, Zakaria pointed out that China is gradually accumulating strength and building relationships, slowly replacing the U.S. as the dominant force in East Asia. “The Chinese are far more strategic,” he noted.
Reference(s):
CNN host challenges U.S.'s confrontational approach to China
cgtn.com
