The West no longer sees China as a potential partner and sees it as a geopolitical rival.
Points of attention
- The results of the G7 summit indicate the worsening of relations between the West and China.
- China is becoming the object of sanctions and suspicions because of its support for Russia in the war against Ukraine.
- Global conflicts and cyber threats from China make it a potential enemy for the West.
The G7 countries support the introduction of sanctions against Chinese companies
The New York Times writes about this, summarizing the results of the G7 summit, which took place this week in Italy.
There are 28 references to China in the final communique (summit — ed.), almost all of which describe Beijing as a malevolent power. The contrast with the image of China just a few years ago is sharp, the publication notes.
At past summits, the largest economies of the West often talked about cooperation with Beijing in the context of combating climate change, countering terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Although China was never invited to the G7, Beijing was often described as a "partner", specifically a supplier of goods and a market for Western goods.
Even after the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine, the West looked to China as a force holding back the Kremlin from further escalation.
There will be no more of this. This year, China and Russia have often been discussed in the same breath and in the same threatening terms, which is perhaps a natural result of their deepening partnership, the publication notes.
Now, in the G7 summit communique, there are direct promises to introduce sanctions against Chinese companies that support Russia's military machine.
According to the NYT, there is a growing belief within the administration of US President Joe Biden that Chinese President Xi Jinping has changed his attitude towards the war in Ukraine over the past year, and now Beijing intends to increasingly support Russia.
The author of the publication emphasizes that the increasing hostility of the West towards China is connected not only with its role in supporting Moscow's aggressive aspirations.
Beijing has been blamed for a series of serious hacking attacks on American and European critical infrastructure.
US officials say China's cyber activity is a preparation for a possible war with Taiwan, in which Beijing would try to paralyze the US by shutting down its critical infrastructure.
Xi Jinping accused the US of provoking China to attack Taiwan
The leader of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, told the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that the USA is allegedly provoking and inciting China to attack Taiwan.
According to the journalists of the publication with reference to interlocutors, the corresponding conversation between Xi Jinping and Ursula von der Leyen took place in April 2023.
According to the leader of the People's Republic of China in a conversation with the president of the European Commission, the US is allegedly trying to trick China into attacking Taiwan.
According to a number of Chinese former military personnel and scientists, in particular, Beijing considers the US transfer of weapons to Taiwan a provocation.
Xi's address to von der Leyen is the first known instance of him making such claims to a foreign leader.
