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US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

From ‘decouple’ to ‘de-risk’ – is there any difference in the US’ China strategy?

  • Washington’s labelling of its policy on Beijing seems to looking more like the EU’s
  • But there are differences between the two and US goal remains unchanged, observers say

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In terms of China, the US seems to be talking more about “de-risking” and less about “decoupling”. Photo: AP
Kawala Xie
The word started gaining currency in March when European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen used it to address the EU’s long-standing concerns over national security and trade with China.
Now the United States appears to have adopted it, with Washington and its allies opting for it in a show of unity on their China strategy at the Group of Seven summit in Japan last month.
“De-risking” – rather than “decoupling” – is now the preferred US word for its approach to relations with China, a seemingly milder concept that could suggest softening in efforts to curb Beijing’s hi-tech development.
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But observers say that irrespective of what term is used, Washington will not be able to paper over the cracks in its relationship with Beijing and divides remain between the European Union and the US over China.

The idea of decoupling with China has been floating around since former US president Donald Trump initiated a trade war with Beijing in 2018 and threatened to separate the two economies by imposing tariffs on a large number of Chinese goods.

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Most of these tariffs remain in place, with the battle gradually moving to the technology front. From Trump’s 2019 ban on Huawei equipment, President Joe Biden’s administration has now moved to target semiconductor exports to China, a key element in Beijing’s military development.

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