“There is no point in insulting China, China should be respected.” On December 8, the BBC Chinese website released a video interview with Anthony Gardner, the former U.S. ambassador to the European Union under Obama and advisor to the Biden camp on European affairs. The latter, while speculating on the so-called “human rights issue,” suggested that cooperation with China is needed and that exchanges between the two countries should not be “conducted in an insulting manner.
In an interview with the European affairs expert, the BBC host volunteered, “Let’s talk about China.
Asked whether Biden “would accept that the United States is now in a long-term strategic confrontation with China,” Gardner argued that the word “confrontation” should not be used, claiming that Trump’s predecessors had also been “tough” on China.
The moderator followed up by asking: “Do you really think Obama’s signals to China are as clear as they have been for the last two years?”
In his response, Gardner indirectly criticized Trump’s China policy: “Obviously, (Obama) he didn’t insult China. And I don’t think we should insult China. China should be respected, just like any other country.”
Video clip
”But more importantly, I would say that there are areas where we can work with China. For example, on issues like climate, the U.S. and China must work together.”
While claiming he would be “tough” on China if needed, Gardner took credit for his former boss Obama, saying the Paris Climate Agreement was possible because Obama “succeeded in bringing China to the negotiating table.
”So it doesn’t make sense to insult other countries, including China, when we need to work with them. The same applies to Russia.”
Gardner later said that all exchanges with China should not be “conducted in an insulting manner”: “As I say again, China should be respected. I think it makes no sense to reiterate the one-China policy and to anger China in these places.”
Aside from China, Gardner admitted on the show that, depending on the pressures of the situation, the Biden administration would focus most of its attention on mending the huge rift on U.S. soil. “After these four years, we have a lot of things to fix.”
It’s true, he said, that there will be many Trumpian policies facing change, such as in the area of climate change. But that doesn’t mean all the things Trump has done will be restored, such as the recognition of Israel by three Arab countries. And restoring relations between the U.S. and its European allies is not a simple matter.
Interestingly, during the dialogue, the BBC hosts questioned whether Europe wants to restore positive relations with the United States.
French President Emmanuel Macron, for example, argued that the past four years have made Europe realize that it must become more independent and less dependent on the United States for its overall security.
At the same time, some Europeans see Biden as an “aging president” who may only be president for one term and then not know what to expect.
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