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Washington and Beijing are talking more regularly to avoid a conflict in the South China Sea despite their \u201ccontentious and competitive\u201d relationship, the United States ambassador to China has told the BBC.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur militaries are operating in very close proximity to one another in the South China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait. You don\u2019t want to send the wrong signal,\u201d Nicholas Burns said in an interview in Beijing earlier this week.<\/p>\n
The South China Sea has become a dangerous flashpoint, where Beijing\u2019s claims are ratcheting up tensions with Taiwan and Philippines, as well as their most powerful ally, the US.<\/p>\n
Chinese and Philippine vessels have been playing a dicey cat-and-mouse game in the contested waters in recent months – the latest altercation this week allegedly involved Chinese coastguard personnel boarding a Philippine boat and attacking soldiers with swords and knives.<\/p>\n
The US, which has stitched together military alliances from Manila to Tokyo, has repeatedly vowed to defend its allies\u2019 rights in the South China Sea.<\/p>\n
This has further strained ties with China \u2013 the relationship was already reeling from Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, Chinese claims over self-governed Taiwan and a trade war.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nChinese and Philippine boats have come very close to one another in the South China Sea<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Mr Burns said these were flashpoints that still \u201ccompletely divided\u201d the two sides, but it was important to try to \u201cget people together\u201d where possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Chinese have agreed to increase our military-to-military communications and that\u2019s really critical for us. You want to have communication because the last thing we want is an accident, a misunderstanding that leads to conflict,\u201d said the 68-year-old diplomat.<\/p>\n
While tensions have eased, the upcoming US presidential election has the potential to disrupt the relationship again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve warned the Chinese not to involve themselves in our election in any way, shape or form,\u201d Mr Burns said, adding that the US was \u201cvery concerned\u201d about the possibility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Earlier this year FBI officials said China would likely continue its efforts to sow divisions and could help spread disinformation online.<\/p>\n
The ambassador said the FBI also had evidence of \u201ccyber aggression by Chinese authorities\u201d against the US. Beijing has always denied accusations of state-sponsored cyber warfare and says it too is a victim of this type of crime.<\/p>\n
Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are vying to be tough on Beijing, a strategy they see as a vote-winner. In May, President Biden announced a raft of new tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars, solar panels and other goods. Few electric cars reach US shores, but Ambassador Burns denied that domestic politics had played a part in this decision.<\/p>\n
He said this was an \u201ceconomic move\u201d designed to safeguard American jobs. Meanwhile, China has warned it may retaliate with tariffs of its own.<\/p>\n
But there are some bright spots despite the rivalry.<\/p>\n
Before sitting down for our interview, Mr Burns had a meeting with China\u2019s climate envoy as the world\u2019s two biggest polluters try to find ways to reduce harmful emissions.<\/p>\n
Washington and Beijing are also holding what are described as \u201chigh-level talks\u201d to prevent the drug fentanyl reaching US shores, which Mr Burns described as \u201ccritical\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nNicholas Burns (left, with Xi Jinping) has been the US ambassador in Beijing since 2022<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
Most of his meetings are at a ministerial level and audiences with President Xi are reserved for when senior US officials, such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visit.<\/p>\n
Both sides have also vowed to work towards more \u201cpeople-to-people\u201d exchanges. This comes as the number of US students studying in China has fallen from around 15,000 in 2011 to 800.<\/p>\n
Mr Xi hopes to open the door for 50,000 American students to come to China in the next five years. He said on a visit to San Francisco last November that it was the \u201cultimate wish of our two peoples for exchanges and cooperation\u201d.<\/p>\n
But Ambassador Burns accused parts of the Chinese government of not taking these warm words seriously: \u201cSince the San Francisco summit, there have been 61 separate incidents when the security forces or a government ministry have prevented Chinese citizens from participating in public diplomacy programmes at this house, at our embassy or they have prevented people from travelling to the US to participate in joint trips \u2013 so it has been very difficult for us to bring people together.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the other side, Chinese students and academics have reported being unfairly targeted by US border officials. Beijing\u2019s embassy in Washington lodged a formal protest and accused US authorities of “unwarrantedly” interrogating, harassing, cancelling the visas of and even deporting several students from China with valid travel permits upon their arrival in the US.<\/p>\n
Washington has also placed a \u201clevel 3\u201d travel advisory on China urging visitors to \u201creconsider\u201d their travel. Mr Burns denied this alert was contradictory to a US plea to \u201cbring people together,\u201d but was rather a precaution.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are Americans imprisoned here who we believe are wrongfully detained, wrongfully prosecuted, I\u2019ve been visiting these prisoners and we want them released.\u201d He said several Americans had been subjected to \u201cexit bans\u201d by China and had their passports taken at the airport and could not leave.<\/p>\n
China, in turn, has left the US off a list of countries that are exempt from visas for up to 15 days of travel – Australia is on the list after Beijing recently mended ties with Canberra.<\/p>\n
That \u201cpeople-to-people\u201d contact \u2013 a relatively easy goal in an otherwise thorny relationship \u2013 is proving to be so difficult is perhaps a sign of the continuing lack of trust on both sides.<\/p>\n
But the biggest fault line for now may well be the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
The US seems to believe China could hold the key to halting Russia\u2019s progress on the battlefield. And Ambassador Burns reiterated Washington\u2019s message that Beijing\u2019s support for Moscow\u2019s invasion will not be tolerated.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina is not neutral in this war,\u201d he said. \u201cChina is showing its true colours. It’s supporting Russia, supporting Putin as he unleashes this barbaric war on Ukrainian civilians. We know what is being shipped by Chinese companies and we know the impact it is having on Russia\u2019s ability to conduct this war.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said there were \u201ctens of thousands\u201d of Chinese companies supporting Moscow. \u201cWe have sanctioned a great number and we are prepared to do more if the government here does not pull back.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
AFP<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe US president last met Xi Jinping in November<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n
His statements echo those made by the G7 in Italy last week, which claimed China\u2019s support for Russia was \u201cenabling\u201d the war in Ukraine. They also threatened more sanctions to punish Chinese entities that they say are helping Russia circumvent Western embargoes.<\/p>\n
Beijing has dismissed these warnings as \u201cfull of arrogance, prejudice and lies”.<\/p>\n
Still, some would call this an improvement from 2022. Following then-Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi\u2019s visit to Taiwan, an infuriated Beijing shut down all cabinet-level communication in Washington. Relations again nose-dived in early 2023 on the eve of a visit from Mr Blinken. He cancelled his trip after the US shot down a high-altitude Chinese balloon which flew across North American airspace.<\/p>\n
Ties finally stabilised only in November last year when Mr Biden and Mr Xi met in San Francisco.<\/p>\n
Mr Burns said his first two years in post were tough \u2013 there was little communication with Chinese officials.<\/p>\n
Now, he adds, relations are \u201crelatively better\u201d but he sees a tough road ahead: \u201cThis very difficult rivalry is going to be present for some time to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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