US-China, Berkofsky (Ispi): “Biden careful, policies don’t change”

The “joint declaration” between the United States and China to strengthen action against climate change announced as a surprise yesterday at Cop26 in Glasgow, defected by Xi Jinping. The “historic resolution” of the Chinese Communist Party that consolidates the excessive power of Xi, who has not left the borders of the Asian giant for 21 months. And the expected summit of the Chinese leader with Joe Biden. “Chinese policies have not changed and the American president should be careful,” Axel Berkofsky, co-head of Ispi Asia Center, professor at the University of Pavia, critical of a China that “thinks it can solve the problems,” told the Adnkronos problems signing checks “, which” does not work with the US “. “The ‘historic resolution’ is a ticket not only to remain president forever, but also secretary general forever – he observes – Xi did not go to Glasgow. He acts like North Korean leader Kim Jong-un who does not leave the country. kind of like Mao Zedong who left the country twice to go to Moscow. He started dressing like Mao, he really seems to think he’s his successor. ” And the virtual summit that, according to Politico could be held next Monday between Biden and Xi, comes – underlines Berkofsky – after “throughout the year from Japan and the United States declarations on aggressive Chinese policies on Taiwan”, the island for which the Chinese leader has recently reaffirmed the goal of “reunification”. “I do not think there will be major developments” with the summit because – he notes – “the problems remain Chinese policies” and concern the “core interests” of the Dragon. Read Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, Xinjiang. “And all those problems that were raised by the Biden Administration – he remarks with the thought turned to the harsh confrontation during the March talks in Alaska – are still there”. And a “change of course” is difficult since “not changing position is the safe way”. Furthermore, “Xi remains an enigma” and Berkofsky says he “does not see a dialogue between two leaders”, a true dialogue that goes beyond “known statements” also because “inside China there are those who push on Xi and the ‘entourage to show strength and not yield to any American, Western request “. “Sure” that the virtual summit between Biden and Xi will eventually be “presented by the official Chinese press as an audience granted by the ‘great leader’ Xi to Biden”, Berkofsky calls for “caution”. And he concludes: “Even on the climate, China remains the country where 60% of energy comes from coal, exactly as it was ten years ago, and it is sensational”. Only yesterday there was a new record of coal production in the Asian giant: 12.05 million tons, 120 thousand tons more than the previous day.