If nothing else emerges at the Apec summit this week in terms of agreement between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies, let’s appreciate that Beijing and Washington were at least able to synchronise the timing of their confirmations that President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden would meet. This could become a new symbol of Sino-American cooperation now that the National Zoo’s pandas are gone.
The two sides appear set to announce something on AI usage, but remember how a certain surveillance balloon torpedoed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing and the modicum of goodwill both sides had managed to muster. Given the track record of efforts to get the two sides talking, we should not rule out the possibility of a US nuclear submarine surfacing near Hainan Island just as Xi touches down in San Francisco.
Biden administration officials have briefed reporters with fairly frank assessments. The meeting will be “contentious”, and we should expect an agreement to reopen lines of communication to be the highlight. But, with so much political capital having been spent sending high-level officials each way in recent months, let’s assume everyone stays well within bounds.
Much has been made about the setting and choreography of the summit, where we’re more likely to see dissonance. It’s difficult to match the grandeur of Chinese hospitality, so trying to pull together something that is somewhere between a “sideline” meeting and a formal state visit will ensure it won’t be respectful enough for Beijing’s taste or confrontational enough to satisfy many US politicians.
02:17
China’s Wang Yi calls for ‘in-depth’ Sino-US dialogue ahead of Antony Blinken talks in Washington
China’s Wang Yi calls for ‘in-depth’ Sino-US dialogue ahead of Antony Blinken talks in Washington
The Washington Post reported last week that Donald Trump, whose nomination as the Republican presidential candidate next year is all but assured, is drafting plans to invoke the Insurrection Act on his first day in office to allow him to deploy the military against civil demonstrations. Consider how far such a plan would go beyond Beijing’s promulgation of Hong Kong’s national security law.
Is Rubio drafting the American Human Rights and Democracy Act to counter Trump’s plan? Probably not. Few Republicans are willing to call out the former and possibly future president on his autocratic tendencies.
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice-Chairman Marco Rubio talks to reporters at the Capitol, in Washington on February 9, after a closed-door briefing on the Chinese balloon that flew over the United States. Photo: AP
These tendencies would mesh well with the ideology of the new House Speaker Mike Johnson. As Politico reported recently, Johnson adheres to the “Convention of States” movement, which aims to undercut the federal government’s ability to borrow money and empower state legislatures to override federal law, among other measures that should raise questions about how the Pentagon would fund efforts to counter the Chinese military.
As a representative of the newly transformed Republican Party, Johnson can be counted on to thwart efforts keep the US government funded. The proposals he has come up with so far appear designed for this purpose, which would align with efforts to undercut Ukraine’s defence against Russia.
When a political party undergoes such a dramatic transformation, it needs a new name. I suggest “Visigoth Patriot Party”. Trump, Johnson and the movement they represent would love the Germanic link, and there was that whole episode where the Visigoths sacked and looted Rome. Until they adopt the new moniker or something similarly medieval, let’s just call them the New Republican Party.
04:26
Washington National Zoo’s last giant pandas returned to China amid strained US-China ties
Washington National Zoo’s last giant pandas returned to China amid strained US-China ties
Don’t expect Democrats to save the day. Polling suggests many Americans think Biden is too old to serve another term. However effective he’s been in office, neither he nor his party seem capable of addressing the fact that foreign policy appears to mean little to US voters.
It’s a good thing that China’s panda’s were shipped out before the government shutdown deadline. The National Zoo makes provisions to keep the animals fed during these periods, but we should know by now that the New Republicans show no restraint.
If they’re out to overturn the constitution, dead zoo animals – especially Chinese ones – would represent their new brand well.
Robert Delaney is the Post’s North America bureau chief
