The year 2020, significantly shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, saw continued and complex developments in international security, particularly in the context of US-China relations. This analysis provides an objective overview of the trends and dynamics that characterized this period.
The pandemic’s emergence did not lead to significant shifts in the main trends of international security. Notably, the rivalry between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the United States intensified in 2020. Relations between Washington and Beijing experienced a marked deterioration, with the US adopting a more confrontational stance. This approach involved several strategic objectives, including efforts to slow China’s technological advancement, limit its economic strategies, control technological transfer, apply ideological pressure regarding human rights and democracy, enhance military deterrence in the Asia-Pacific, and form coalitions aimed at countering Chinese influence.
The US administration under President Trump positioned China as a primary source of the pandemic, a narrative echoed in various American political and media circles. This stance was seen as a continuation of existing policies aimed at containing China’s global influence, rooted in longstanding concerns over its growth, economic policies, and foreign relations.
Looking ahead, the policies of the incoming Biden administration were anticipated to follow a similar containment trajectory, albeit with potentially different tactics and greater consideration of American business interests. In China, there was a recognition of the serious and long-term nature of US actions. Contrary to American claims, China’s international activities, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, were primarily commercially oriented, without apparent aims of spreading communist ideology or authoritarianism. China’s integration into the liberal world order and globalisation processes was seen as beneficial, though the US viewed China’s stance as problematic, necessitating either adaptation to democratic and market norms or exclusion from these benefits.
The evolving US-China relationship raised questions about future global alignments. While the European Union showed a tendency to align more closely with the US, the dynamics within the Euro-Atlantic security community remained uncertain. In Asia, US allies expressed concerns about being drawn into conflict, balancing security considerations with economic ties to China. The situation between India and China remained tense, with a potential US-India alliance against China not appearing imminent. Russia maintained its strategic autonomy, with its close political relationship with China potentially evolving depending on US policies towards both nations.
These developments indicated that key international players would need to navigate dilemmas involving isolation versus active foreign policy, alliance formation versus independence, and prioritizing security interests over commercial ties. The trajectory of US-China relations and its global implications continued to be a significant factor in shaping the international order.
