The Bush administration is putting China under
closer scrutiny, citing Beijing's military spending, trade and currency policies
as nuisances in growth of bilateral relations.
But analysts say raising complaints now may be part of a strategy of laying
the controversial issues on the table before Chinese President Hu Jintao's
inaugural trip to Washington late next month.
(L-R) Japanese Foreign
Minister Taro Aso, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pose for a photograph prior to their
trilateral talks in Sydney. The historic security talks concluded with
praise for China's engagement in the Asia-Pacific and an agreement to seek
greater cooperation within Asia. [AFP]
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China was the focus at trilateral security
talks on Saturday between foreign ministers of the United States, Australia and
Japan, and was singled out in a White House report released last week that urged
reform of its trade policies and military transparency.
"It seems that now they've raised concerns and complaints, it could damage
the climate when President Hu pays his visit. But that's why Hu Jintao wants to
talk with his U.S. counterpart," said Professor Zhu Feng, an expert on
Chinese-U.S. relations at Peking University.
"It will magnify the necessity for both sides to maintain high-level
contacts," Reuters quoted him as saying.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Australia and Indonesia last
week that China's military budget, which will rise 14.7percent this year to $35
billion, is a concern in relations. Washington is also pressuring Beijing to
revalue its yuan currency at a higher exchange rate, and allow more U.S. firms
to do business in China, one of the world’s biggest markets.
Two U.S. senators pushing for higher export tariffs unless China revalues the
yuan and U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez are also due to visit Beijing
this week, Reuters reported.
But Washington may be reluctant to push too far as it tries to engage Beijing
on a series of multilateral issues, including Western efforts to curb Iran's
atomic ambitions and talks on North Korea's nuclear programs.
"This has
been the U.S. strategy toward China. On the one hand, economically, socially and
on the international stage, it tries to engage China," said Lai Hongyi, a
scholar at Singapore's East Asia Institute, in an interview with Reuters.
"But at the same time, on the military and national security front, the U.S.
is also making moves to hedge against China's military power."
Washington also risks alienating its regional allies if it pushes too far
with criticisms of China they may not agree with, analysts say.
While U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was focusing on China's
military last week, Australia made it clear it sees China's rise as more of an
economic opportunity than a threat.
China's growing demand for raw materials such as grain and minerals that
Australia produces made the two increasingly closer trade partners, said David
Zweig, director of the Hong Kong-based Center on China's Transnational
Relations.
"I think the basic tone in Beijing is that we can only do what
we can," said Peking University's Zhu. "We can't sacrifice national interest
just for concern in the United States."