That Was Fast: Blowups With China and Russia in Biden's First 60 Days

[Klaralven]

WASHINGTON — Sixty days into his administration, President Biden got a taste this week of what the next four years may look like: a new era of bitter superpower competition, marked by perhaps the worst relationship Washington has had with Russia since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and with China since it opened diplomatic relations with the United States.

It has been brewing for years, as President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and President Xi Jinping of China took sharp turns toward authoritarianism. But it blew up in open fashion this week, after Mr. Biden agreed with the proposition that Mr. Putin is a “killer” and the Chinese, meeting with the United States for the first time since the new administration took office, lectured Americans about the error of their arrogant view that the world wants to replicate their freedoms.

A lot of it was for show, on both sides, with cameras whirring. All of the participants were playing to their domestic audiences, the Biden team included. But it was not entirely an act.

While the Cold War has not resumed — there is little of the nuclear menace of that era, and the current competition is over technology, cyberconflict and influence operations — the scenes playing out now have echoes of the bad old days. As a moment in theatrical diplomacy, the meeting on Thursday and Friday in Anchorage between the Americans and Chinese was reminiscent of when the Soviet premier, Nikita S. Khrushchev, made headlines around the world 60 years ago by banging his shoe on a desk of the United Nations and shouting about American imperialists.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/20/us/politics/china-russia-biden.html

[TomCADem]

1. This is An Inevitable Consequence of Russia Brazenly Engaging...

... in election interference. With respect to China, the tension is not only due to Trump and Republicans trying to ratchet the pressure up, but because Trump pretty much disengaged the U.S. from institutions like the WHO and ceded leadership to China in the Pacific Rim. So, just because Biden was elected President, it is doubtful that China is going to just cede leadership back to the U.S.

[Blue_true]

20. The Biden Administration is trying to pry China's warm hands

from the Pacific Rim. Trump was totally negligent there, he allowed China to expand it’s influence and intimidate allies like Japan and Australia.

It is a work in progress, there will be steps forward and steps backward. We should not expect China to give up it’s newly gained influence in the region, even if it was gained by intimidation.

I believe the way that we need to deal with China is acknowledge that it is a first world country now, and point out that first world countries have responsibilities that go beyond their own national interests.

As far as Putin is concerned, he has either been involved with or turned a blind eye to the murder or attempted murder of critics and reporters.

[taxi]

2. There is much going on that we don't see

After seeing that a China based construction company built an entirely new capital city [complex] outside of Cairo, I was interested in finding out the extent of China's reach. At first glance my impulse was to start tallying the billions of dollars, and at second glance decided to avoid that large a task. Closer to China in the Philippines, Russian vaccines will be purchased, sea lanes are being redefined and eliminated, and communist camps abound.

edit[]

Officials say the city will eventually include social housing and is meant to finance itself through land sales, though it is unclear how much revenue these have generated.

Of the $25 billion (S$33 billion) cost for the first phase, about $3 billion is being spent on the government district, said Husseiny.

Some international financing has been secured for rail links, and a $3 billion Chinese loan has helped fund the business district, built by China State Construction Engineering Corp (CSCEC).

[StClone]

3. Superpower Competition?

The only reason shit hole trail-park Russia is mentioned in this context is because they have Nukes. Russia should never be called a Superpower.

Item: While the population of Russia is almost five times that of Texas, Texas outpaces Russia when it comes to GDP. Russia's gross domestic product amounts to about 1.3 trillion, while the Lone Star State's comes to about 1.7 trillion. That means Texas crushes Russia when it comes to per capita GDP.

[ProfessorGAC]

11. Right! Russia's Quite Low In Per Capita!

They're low in the middle third of countries (or high in the lower third)!
Their per capita GDP is 17.7% that of the US. ($11,585 vs. $65,298)
China's is even lower. ($10,216)
China's economic power is solely volume, given their enormous population.
Russia has no such volume advantage.
They've got nukes, but they're an economic also-ran.
A link you might like:

https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?name_desc=false

[Xolodno]

18. By your comments, Belgium and the Netherlands are trailer park...

..but you do point out an interesting conundrum. How is it a country with the GDP the size of Spain is able to do so much?

But I'm reminded, Yeltsin took IMF loans....designed to keep the country in debt, his successor paid them off asap.

Something doesn't smell right. I have a feeling Russia's (and China for that measure) GDP isn't what it seems to be. The math doesn't add up.

[Blue_true]

21. I believe that the problem with Russia is that Putin has run it for more that two decades.

The country was making good progress modernizing, until that murderous jackass came to power.

[roamer65]

4. United States vs the Sino-Russian alliance.

SCO.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

http://eng.sectsco.org/

[Klaralven]

7. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has broader membership than China and Russia

Thus, currently:

• the SCO comprises eight member states, namely the Republic of India, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan;

• the SCO counts four observer states, namely the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Mongolia;

• the SCO has six dialogue partners, namely the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the Republic of Turkey, and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

http://eng.sectsco.org/about_sco/

Pakistan has put out "peace feelers" towards India.

Pakistan to India: ‘Time to Bury the Past' for Regional Peace

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s military chief Thursday advocated a “stable” relationship with archrival India, saying unsettled disputes between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors are “dragging the region back to the swamp of poverty and underdevelopment.”

Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa told a conference of experts and academics in Islamabad that their territorial dispute over Kashmir is “at the heart” of bilateral tensions and a lack of development in South Asia.

“However, we feel that it is time to bury the past and move forward,” Bajwa said. “But for resumption of peace process, or meaningful dialogue, our neighbor will have to create a conducive environment, particularly in Indian-occupied Kashmir.”

https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/pakistan-india-time-bury-past-regional-peace

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization provides a venue for further cooperation.

India, Pakistan, China to participate in SCO joint anti-terrorism exercise this year

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-pakistan-china-to-participate-in-sco-joint-anti-terrorism-exercise-this-year/article34124222.ece

[roamer65]

8. The major policy dictators of the organization are China and Russia.

The Sino-Russian alliance.

Most dictates come from Beijing. The Chinese didn’t need to interfere in our election, because Moscow is doing the dirty work for them.

[Klaralven]

10. I'd be shocked if the Chinese hadn't interfered in our election.

The US elections are of interest to all nations, since we, as Leader of the Free World and the Sole Super Power, tend to interfere in multiple aspects of their nations. It's sort of imposition without representation unless they run some influence campaigns.

[roamer65]

13. The recent US intelligence report said the Chinese had decided against it.

I didn’t buy it.

My gut feeling the Chinese didn’t because the Russians were already doing the alliance’s dirty work.

[Klaralven]

16. Are China and Iran meddling in US elections? It's complicated.

https://www.vox.com/21418513/china-iran-us-election-meddling-russia

They have different objectives and methods.

[blm]

19. Putin would certainly prefer that to be believed

by the American wing he manipulates through the GOP.

[taxi]

12. That was some interesting reading

I don't know why they don't change the title of the fairy tales and stamps story to CSO Constitution and give each member state 11 votes. The group of RATS was a nice touch too.

[Mysterian]

5. Russia is a malignant dictatorship that has waged an undeclared war on democracy

I'm damn glad President Biden understands that Russia is our enemy.

[Turbineguy]

6. Our enemies have their friends

in the republican party to help them.

Nearly all of them should be registered as foreign agents.

[Rustyeye77]

9. Good...you have lay down a line.

You want to make an omelette ,you got gotta break some eggs.

[moondust]

14. Passengers may notice some turbulence

as the train is moved from the ditch back onto the tracks. We don't know how the previous operator got into the cab without any experience, training, or knowledge. Our apologies.

[gratuitous]

15. Russia's sore because Putin's lap dog isn't in the Oval Office anymore

China's all pissed off because the U.S. is going to get involved in Pacific Rim affairs again. They had four years of free ride while Trump was screwing the country over. Of course they're going to be all mad that the U.S. is reclaiming its place in the world.

[alphafemale]

17. You wanted him to keep kissing Putin's ass like trumpety did?

This is what I wanted.

Friction can be good.