US moderates with China, says protesters speak for themselves

Washington opts for caution and containment in the face of protests in China.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
29 November 2022 Tuesday 23:30
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US moderates with China, says protesters speak for themselves

Washington opts for caution and containment in the face of protests in China. It is clear that, at least for now, Joe Biden does not want to precipitate a new row with the Asian giant just two weeks after his cordial meeting with Xi Jinping in Bali. He knows that a frontal criticism of his management of the crisis or a fiery defense of the demonstrations against the internal policies of covid zero would give his counterpart an excuse to launch harsh accusations at him and, perhaps, to renew his provocations with Taiwan in between.

“The position of the United States is the same everywhere: we support the right of anyone to protest peacefully and to express their views and their frustrations,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday when asked about the demonstrations in China during a press conference in Bucharest, where he met with the rest of the heads of diplomacy of the NATO partners.

Blinken's statement was nailed to the one made the day before by White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who, when asked about Biden's reaction when he hears Chinese protesters yell "freedom" or " Xi Jinping, resign,” he added: “The president is not going to speak for the protesters around the world; they are speaking for themselves.”

The foreign and intelligence apparatus of the United States will continue in any case to "monitor" the social conflict originated in China due to the severe measures against the covid. “We are watching all of this closely, as you would expect us to,” Kirby said.

The Biden Administration's restraint in repressing protests in China is contrasted by its harshness in the face of Iran's brutal actions against those who rebel against its tyranny. Which is partly understandable given the vast differences between the two situations. But it was striking how, in the same appearance where Kirby juggled to justify caution before Beijing, the White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, elaborated on the many government measures in support of "the brave citizens and the brave women of Iran who are fighting to secure their basic rights.” Jean-Pierre recalled the US sanctions against those responsible for the murder, torture and imprisonment of the Iranian protesters, as well as the efforts to condemn the regime in all international organizations.

Before China, however, Washington reconciles its declarative restraint on the matter of the protests with intense diplomatic activity in the field of multilateral defense against Beijing. Shortly after his cautious statement about the right to peaceful protest "everywhere," Blinken reminded his NATO counterparts "of the challenges that China poses to our interests." And, as the Financial Times reported yesterday, it is certain that the Secretary of State will have used the meeting in Bucharest to put pressure on the allies to adopt a tougher stance towards the Asian power, especially with regard to their every increasingly daring moves in the Indo-Pacific.

The tension between the United States and China may temper at times, but it will endure.