Tensions Between U.S.-Sino Relations Continue to Be Reported

Although Chinese foreign investment or acquisitions in U.S. companies may be welcomed in some parts of the country, Washington, according to an article in Reuters, is far from ready to call China a “bosom buddy.”

Many lawmakers are hardly open to the idea of Chinese takeover in “anything remotely sensitive in terms of military or technological value.” Senators, too, are growing exceedingly wary in China’s expansion as a world power. Senator Susan Collins has been quoted saying, “The Chinese buildup of its military, particularly its naval fleet, has made people more concerned about what China's ultimate intentions are” as well as expressing her concern about cyber attacks from China aimed at the intellectual property of U.S. companies.

Senator Jack Reed, from my own State of Rhode Island, is concerned about the close ties between business and government in China. "The real concern -- and it has to be case by case -- is that many of these companies are so closely intertwined with the government of China that it is hard to see where the company stops and the country begins, and vice versa," he says.

On the flip side, there is a strong sense of Chinese nationalism and pride at China’s growing economic competence as well as a growing resentment toward certain United States officials, like U.S. Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, who was perceived by many Chinese officials to be “telling us what to do.” Many Chinese financial services feel “China's rising assertiveness in light of the country's continued growth and positive role in the global recovery."

The clear divergence between China’s growing confidence and the United States’ increasing wariness is a common frame for news reports about Sino-U.S. relations. Once again, even in an article framed as a discussion about the financial relations between China and the United States, China’s military expansion and other potential threatening actions were discussed. The article continues to highlight the tension and difference in perception between United States and China’s on the same subject with a quote from a Chinese official stating, "For the U.S., every bush and tree looks like an enemy soldier."

So is the United States over sensitive to China’s advancements or is are there certain things United States officials should be genuinely concerned about? This article does not make any attempt to help the reader come to a conclusion. It simply perpetuates the same anxieties many feel about China’s continuing growth. The article ends on an ominous note, quoting William Reinsch in saying, along with the changes in government in 2012 for both China and the United States, "We could see a deterioration next year that is politically motivated in both countries -- in that case I think you have a potentially very serious problem."