Source:
https://scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3086802/us-china-tensions-set-worsen-moderates-lose-out-hardliners
China/ Diplomacy

US-China tensions set to worsen as moderates lose out to hardliners, observers say

  • Chinese groups calling for more ‘fighting spirit’ are getting the upper hand on those who favour calm and cooperation, government adviser says
  • From Hong Kong to Covid-19, trade to the South China Sea, Beijing and Washington are clashing on a growing number of fronts and in an increasingly aggressive way
Efforts to promote dialogue and cooperation between the US and China are failing, observers say. Photo: AFP

Moderates who favour dialogue and cooperation as a way to resolve China’s disputes with the United States are losing ground to hardline groups bent on taking the fight to Washington, according to political insiders and observers.

“There are two camps in China,” said a former state official who now serves as a government adviser and asked not to be named.