China Briefing | Would China let the US teach American values in Peking University?
- Like it or not, the notion of ‘reciprocity’ will increasingly come to define China’s relationship with the West
- Chinese angered at Washington’s move against Confucius Institutes should ask themselves a question that sheds light on the meaning of the word
As the principle of reciprocity will be an underlying catalyst that propels the relationship for better or worse, what remains to be seen is whether China embraces the principle and is willing and ready to reciprocate enough to get relations back on track.
So far, the signs are not clear. Publicly, Beijing has put the ball firmly in Washington’s court, blaming the US for driving the relationship to the ground on a wide range of issues from diplomacy to technology to academia to people-to-people exchanges. It also accuses Washington of ganging up with its Western allies on China without good cause.
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US President Joe Biden orders new Pentagon task force to review China strategy
Beijing has reacted angrily, calling the decision hypocritical and nothing short of double standards.
Wang Wenbin, the foreign ministry spokesman, had a point in saying that when CGTN was granted the licence to operate 18 years ago, the British authorities knew fully about its political affiliation. Its decision to use this fact 18 years later to take CGTN off air seems politically motivated and ridiculous.
For many people in China, that is another example of uncalled for provocation from Britain, which is forever in lockstep with the US in its efforts to contain China.