Editorial | Trade deal’s future at risk if campaigning Trump turns to China-bashing
- The rhetoric out of the Munich conference suggests reaching phase two of the agreement, especially during an election cycle, may not be easy.
A presidential election campaign, not yet in full swing, can be high season for China-bashing in the United States.
This tit-for-tat polemic is driven by US efforts to keep Europe onside in its rivalry with China over cybersecurity, technology and trade, highlighted by a global campaign to block Huawei’s 5G mobile technology. In that respect, the rhetoric was enlivened by a question from retired senior Chinese diplomat Fu Ying, now chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Noting that China had adopted Western technologies without threat to its political system, she asked how adoption of Huawei’s 5G technology would threaten Western political systems. It was an example of how a more confident China has no hesitation in rebutting the American narrative on the international stage.