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‘New normal’ in US-China ties should avoid sweeping view of ‘security’ risks, foreign policy expert says
- In opinion piece, Tsinghua University professor warns expansive definition of threats could drain resources away from development and innovation
- The article comes as Beijing signals start of a ‘new phase’ in ties with Washington following Xi-Biden summit
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A leading US-China studies specialist in Beijing warned against too loose of a definition of “security” in bilateral relations as the two major powers agreed to stabilise ties following the Xi-Biden summit earlier this month.
Defining security issues too broadly can suppress levels of innovation and social vitality, said Da Wei, director of the Centre for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University.
In an opinion piece published on Tuesday on Chinese news site ThePaper.cn, Da described a potential “new normal” for China-US relations in the wake of the meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden earlier this month.
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He observed that “the level of concern and dedication to China-US competition and its impact appeared to be noticeably higher in China” compared with the United States, probably due to the gap in national strength.
He said China, as the “weaker side of the game”, should be aware of the risk of oversecuritisation – an academic term for the excessive identification of issues as security threats.
Speaking to the Post, Da cited supply chain globalisation as an example of something that should not be considered a security issue. If China and the United States move supply chains back to their own territories because of security concerns, it could cause inefficiency, he said.
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