Stormy future in US-China relations after Tillerson's dismissal

Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo will succeed Mr Tillerson. In January, Mr Pompeo said China was a “major threat to the United States” similar to Russia, because of China’s infiltration into schools and hospitals.

China is trying to establish contact with the US. Photo: AP

President Trump's appointment of Mr. Pompeo as US Secretary of State has raised concerns that the Trump administration could take a more hawkish approach toward Beijing, a relationship already fraught with trade and security disputes.

Analysts say Mr. Tillerson’s sudden departure could lead to a similar fate for other close aides who have deep disagreements with Mr. Trump, including national security adviser HRMcMaster. The sudden change in the cabinet has left Chinese diplomats in a difficult position as they do not know who to contact, as some close figures could leave at any time.

An expert on US studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies (China) said that the appointment of Mr. Pompeo, a member of the ultra-conservative “tea party”, to the position of US Secretary of State means that a hard-liner will stand “on the front line” in the US foreign policy front.

Mr. Rex Tillerson is considered a moderate official compared to other figures in President Trump's administration. Photo: AP

“This is really bad news for the US-China relationship. Once Pompeo is officially appointed, it could further escalate the trade dispute between the two countries, and tensions could spread to the security and diplomatic fields. Pompeo has long maintained a conservative stance, and is likely to be even tougher than Trump on the US-China relationship, which will to some extent increase the conflict between the two countries,” the expert commented.

The former chairman of China's Sinopec oil refinery previously said that Mr. Tillerson, whom he met between 2011 and 2015, was someone who "tries to understand others" and "will try to sit down" to solve problems.

Meanwhile, an international relations expert at Guangzhou University of Foreign Studies (China) said that Mr. Tillerson's departure would remove the biggest obstacle in President Trump's "uncontrollable policy roots."

Professor Robert Ross, a political science researcher at Boston College (USA), said he did not have much confidence in America's "stable, goal-oriented foreign policy" after Mr. Tillerson was dismissed.

“Mr. Pompeo tends to support President Trump’s instincts and policy priorities, and this could have a less benign effect, and potentially trigger the president’s worst instincts,” Ross said.

President Trump's appointment of Mr. Pompeo as US Secretary of State has raised concerns that the Trump administration could take a more hawkish approach toward Beijing. Photo: Getty

However, Shi Enhong, director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University and an adviser to the Chinese State Council, said that the change in the position of US Secretary of State will not reset the US-China relationship. According to him, Mr. Tillerson has never played a decisive role in US policy towards China, considering that only President Xi and President Trump have truly steered this relationship.

Thus, according to Mr. Thoi, this means that many Chinese officials such as Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi will have to get used to Mr. Pompeo, but the main bilateral tone, including increasing conflicts between the two countries, will not change./.