If a US-China conflict occurs, it will be a 'disaster'

"President Biden told Chinese President Xi Jinping last month that we share a deep sense of responsibility to ensure that the competition between our two countries does not escalate into conflict. We take this responsibility with the utmost seriousness," said Blinken, who is visiting Jakarta. His remarks were reported by the US State Department.

US Secretary of State. Photo: Reuters

The head of the US diplomatic agency stressed that in the opposite case, the consequences of such a conflict "would be catastrophic for all of us."

The United States has recently accused China of increasing military activity around Taiwan and threatening to annex Taiwan by force. Last week, the White House said the United States would do everything in its power to prevent the island from being invaded. Beijing has criticized Washington for supporting those advocating Taiwanese independence. The United States officially recognizes the “one China” policy, but maintains extensive relations with Taiwan.

US-China relations are deteriorating

Relations between China and the United States have deteriorated sharply under President Donald Trump, as the United States initiated a trade war, began to put excessive pressure on Chinese technology companies, including Huawei and ZTE, and then imposed sanctions over human rights in Tibet and Xinjiang, as well as mainland China’s increased control over Hong Kong, including the passage of a national security law. The United States also continued to accuse China of failing to contain the spread of the coronavirus and further escalated tensions with frequent contact with Taiwan.

Beijing has consistently opposed all of Washington's actions, denied all accusations and called for relations between the two countries to be put back on track. Since President Biden took office, there have been no signs of warming relations between the two countries.