Stormy future in US-China relations after Tillerson's dismissal
(Baonghean.vn)- Diplomatic observers warn that the sudden departure of Rex Tillerson as US Secretary of State will mean that the US-China bilateral relationship will go through a more difficult period, and at the same time make it difficult for Beijing to promote contacts with Washington.
Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo will succeed Tillerson. In January, Pompeo said China was as “a major threat to the United States” as Russia, due to its infiltration of schools and hospitals.
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| 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 that has been fraught with trade and security disputes.
Analysts say Tillerson’s sudden departure could lead to a similar fate for other close aides who have had deep disagreements with Trump, including national security adviser HRMcMaster. The sudden change in the cabinet has left Chinese diplomats in a quandary 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-line figure will stand “on the front line” in the US foreign policy front.
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| 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 cause further escalation in the trade dispute between the two countries, and tensions could spill over into 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 Chinese oil refiner Sinopec 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 that could have a less benign effect, and potentially trigger the president’s worst instincts,” Ross said.
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| 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 to Beijing. Photo: Getty |
However, Shi Enhong, director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University and an adviser to China’s State Council, said the change in the position of US Secretary of State will not reset US-China relations. 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./.
