The ‘Strategic Competition Act of 2021’ passed through the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee by 21-1 on Apr 21 Wednesday.  The bill will very likely get approved by the 100-member Senate soon.

This bill includes a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics by U.S. officials.   Another overwhelming bipartisan bill is the ‘Endless Frontier Act’.

All these efforts show “… the need to ‘prioritize the military investments necessary to achieve United States political objectives in the Indo-Pacific’.   It backs steep increases in security-related funding for the region and closer ties with Taiwan …” (Reuters 2021 Apr 22)

What is more worrisome is the talk of using nuclear weapons in Asia in the US-Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement that “… The United States restated its unwavering support for Japan’s defense under the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, using its full range of capabilities, including nuclear …” (White House Statement 2021 Apr 16).

Therefore, it is not a surprise or exaggeration that, as suggested by a Hong Kong press, the U.S. Congress is on its way declaring war on China (Ming Pao Daily 2021 Apr 25).

In spite of the tension and the Hawk’s drum beats, both direct and indirect hot war between China and the U.S. remains remote for at least three reasons.

First, the global economic inter-dependency prevails over the necessity of combat.    One recent example is the shortage of made-in-Taiwan chips which “… accounted for more than 60% of the total global foundry revenue last year (2020) …” (CNBC 2021 Mar 15),  In case a long lasting war takes place in Taiwan, a big majority of factories of all kinds all over the world have to stop the production lines.

Second, Moscow will definitely take advantages from a war in East Asia by moving armies into Ukraine, Georgia, and even the unfriendly Baltic states.   It is highly unlikely Washington could handle hot wars on two fronts.

Third, as long as peace sustains for a few more decades, the U.S. still has a good chance to advance technologies, such as 6G communications, A.I., digital currency, etc, fast enough to retain its marginal privileges.   Once in war with the modern day China and Russia, the damage to the U.S. is beyond imagination.

It takes time for the American hawks to accept a new normal that the U.S. dominance is over.   War of words will continue. It hurts feeling but not the muscle.   Nonetheless, we are on the course towards a multi-polar IR power structure.

The opinions expressed are those of the author, and not necessarily those of China News.

Categories: Politics & Law

Tags: China, News, Taiwan, United States