China believes that America is forging alliances to stop its rise
A new pact between America, Australia and Britain is seen as evidence
FOR CHINESE leaders, the rows about AUKUS, a new security pact between America, Australia and Britain, confirm cherished prejudices about the Western world. China has always believed that America’s network of global alliances is a cover for hegemony, even if American leaders offer warm words about defending universal values, standing up for friends and opposing “attempts by stronger countries to dominate weaker ones”, as President Joe Biden did at the UN on September 21st.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “How AUKUS is viewed from Beijing”
From the September 25th 2021 edition
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