"Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued an unusually blunt rebuke of U.S. policy on Monday, blaming what he termed a Washington-led campaign to suppress China for recent challenges facing his country.
"Western countries -- led by the U.S. -- have implemented all-round containment, encirclement and suppression against us, bringing unprecedentedly severe challenges to our country's development," Mr. Xi was quoted by state media as saying on Monday.
Mr. Xi's comments marked an unusual departure for a leader who has generally refrained from directly criticizing the U.S. in public remarks -- even as his decadelong leadership has demonstrated a pessimistic view of the bilateral relationship.
The accusation of U.S. suppression of China's development over the past five years comes as Mr. Xi faces charges from investors that China's economy has been damaged by his policies, including the emphasis on national security.
The comments were part of a speech to members of China's top political advisory body during an annual legislative session in Beijing, according to a Chinese-language readout published by the official Xinhua News Agency.
While Mr. Xi has mentioned the U.S. in critical tones during internal speeches, such remarks have often filtered out through subordinates relaying his messages for broader audiences, within the party and beyond. In statements made in public settings or directly reported by state media, Mr. Xi has typically been more measured and vague regarding the U.S. and other Western countries, referring to them as "certain" countries rather than naming them explicitly.
Now by directly accusing the U.S. of seeking containment, a term loaded with Cold War meaning, Mr. Xi appears to be associating himself more closely with nationalist rhetoric -- widely used by lower-ranking officials and state media -- that attacks Washington, at a time when bilateral tensions continue to simmer over trade, technology, geopolitical influence, and discordant views on events in Ukraine.
The English-language version of Mr. Xi's speech reported by Xinhua didn't refer to containment or the U.S. Instead, it quoted him telling fellow officials to "have the courage to fight as the country faces profound and complex changes in both the domestic and international landscape."
President Biden says the U.S. competes with China but doesn't want conflict, though Beijing worries that an emphasis in his national-security strategy on historic rivalry between democracies and autocracies is a sign Washington seeks regime change in Beijing. "We're not looking for a new Cold War," Mr. Biden said last month.
The accusations by Mr. Xi against the U.S., delivered to an audience that includes politically connected businesspeople, appeared in part to be an effort by Mr. Xi to shift blame away from his own policy-making, including tough Covid controls that have weakened the economy and pressure on technology companies that cost the industry some of its dynamism.
Chinese leaders often speak in opaque terms but as Mr. Xi continues to consolidate power, he may be searching for new ways to explain the country's gathering troubles, including on the economy, said Shirley Martey Hargis, a nonresident fellow at the Washington think tank Atlantic Council.
"It's either take the blame or shift it," she said.
At Monday's meeting, which included representatives from China's state-backed national chamber of commerce, Mr. Xi sought to boost confidence within the private sector -- a key driver of growth and supplier of jobs in the world's second-largest economy, but also a community shaken by regulatory crackdowns and harsh pandemic lockdowns in recent years.
The Chinese leader insisted that the Communist Party "has always regarded private enterprises and private entrepreneurs as our own people," and would provide them with support whenever they run into difficulties, Xinhua said.
At the same time, Mr. Xi urged business people to strive for wealth with a sense of responsibility, righteousness and compassion, and to bear in mind his push for "common prosperity" -- aimed at redistributing more of China's wealth, amid concerns that the elite classes had benefited disproportionately from the country's economic boom.
According to Xinhua, Mr. Xi also defended his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and addressed the growing tensions between China and the West. He also urged the business community to work together with the party to overcome difficulties in an uncertain global environment.
"In the coming period of time, the risks and challenges that we face will only increase and intensify ever more," Mr. Xi was quoted as saying by Xinhua.” [1]
1. World News: Xi Takes Rare Direct Aim at U.S. in Speech
Chun Han Wong; Zhai, Keith; Areddy, James T. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 07 Mar 2023: A.7.
Komentarų nėra:
Rašyti komentarą