Chinese academic points to the United States as the main threat to national security

An influential Chinese academic has called the United States the biggest threat to China’s security, urging Beijing to strengthen its international alliances as a safeguard against current challenges. Wang Jisi, founding president of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University, warned that China faces “unprecedented national security challenges” due to rising tensions with Washington, which perceives Beijing as its main competitor on the global stage. .

In a article published in the October issue of the Journal of Liaoning UniversityWang analyzed the evolution of Sino-US relations over the past decade. According to the academic, the link between both powers has moved from diplomatic terms such as “strategic partners” and “new relationship of great powers” ​​to a much clearer and more direct reality. “It is no secret that the external force that represents the greatest security threat to China comes from the United States,” said Wang, in an analysis that reflects the change in perception in Beijing regarding Washington’s role.

This change in narrative is the result of a series of disagreements in key areas that have strained the relationship between the world’s two largest economies. Wang noted that the United States has intervened in China’s internal affairs, such as the Xinjiang and Hong Kong issues, in what he sees as a deliberate effort to isolate Beijing in the international sphere. From the academic’s perspective, these acts reflect Washington’s intention to contain the rise of China and consolidate its hegemony, not only in terms of political and military influence, but also in the economic sphere.

Wang stressed that the US stance on national security has transcended the scope of commercial interests, thus politicizing economic and trade relations between both countries. Trade policy, which in previous decades was one of the areas of collaboration and understanding between Washington and Beijing, is now marked by protectionist measures, restrictions on Chinese technology companies and limitations on access to the US market. This shift, according to Wang, responds to an expanded national security vision that relegates commercial benefits and seeks to weaken China’s position in strategic sectors, such as technology and manufacturing.

Against this backdrop, Wang urges China to strengthen its network of friendships and alliances globally as a defense and adaptation strategy in the face of American pressures. The academic maintains that diversifying diplomatic and economic relations will allow China to build a support system that provides it with greater autonomy and resilience in a world that is becoming increasingly polarized. For Wang, the expansion of this network of friends should not only include developing countries, but also nations with strategic positions in Europe, Asia and Latin America, which can see China as a reliable partner at a time when American influence is questioned in various regions.

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This approach to strategic alliances becomes more relevant in a context where globalization has given way to fragmentation and increasingly sharp competition between great powers. According to Wang, China must anticipate these changes and project itself as an actor committed to multilateralism and strengthening a more inclusive international order, where cooperation prevails over confrontation.

Tensions between China and the United States have reached their peak in areas such as technology, human rights and trade. The US administration has increased efforts to limit Chinese companies’ access to key technologies and restricted exports of essential components, such as semiconductors. These restrictions have forced Beijing to accelerate its quest for technological self-sufficiency and explore new cooperation agreements with countries that can complement its development needs in high-tech sectors.

Furthermore, the academic highlighted that the United States’ containment strategy in relation to China is not limited to internal aspects. Washington has sought to strengthen its alliances in the Indo-Pacific, creating a fence of strategic alliances with countries such as Japan, India and Australia, in what is perceived as an attempt to counter China’s influence in this critical region. Faced with this reality, Wang believes that Beijing must redouble its diplomatic and commercial efforts to counteract US intentions and consolidate itself as a pole of attraction for nations seeking development alternatives outside the US orbit.

In economic terms, the academic advocates that China develop greater economic resilience in the face of sanctions and limitations that may be imposed from Washington. Independence in strategic sectors such as technology and energy are, in his opinion, essential to reduce China’s vulnerability to future pressure measures. Wang proposes that the country intensify its economic and technical cooperation with nations that can offer complementary resources and technologies, so that China does not depend exclusively on the economic structure led by the United States.