The intended audience for this message was not the current president of the United States but rather his successor. With these “four red lines,” China is seeking to set the terms for the U.S.-China bilateral relationship for the next four years and warn President-Elect Donald Trump and his national security team not to pursue certain policies. In addition, while China likely understands that the United States will not abide by these “red lines,” publicly putting them forward gives Beijing the opportunity to put the onus on Washington for heightened tensions by arguing that its warnings went unheeded and thus has no choice but to respond with countermeasures.
søndag 22. desember 2024
Unpacking China’s “Four Red Lines” and Its Warning to Trump
Following Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s final meeting with President Joe Biden, which took place in November on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Peru, Beijing released a summary of the conversation that delineated “four red lines” for U.S.-China relations. The statement asserted, “The Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China’s path and system, and China’s development right are four red lines for China. They must not be challenged.”
