US pleads for Europe's help to counter competition from arch-foe China

A top US diplomat has called on European countries to help Washington offset competition from arch-foe China, stressing that Beijing has long challenged Europe's "security, economy, and values."

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman made the remarks at a virtual press conference on Thursday following China's pledge to further cement its ties with Russia despite the Ukraine war.

"Even before (Chinese) President Xi (Jinping) and (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin declared their 'no limits' partnership in February, the PRC (People's Republic of China) has challenged Europe's security, Europe's economy, and Europe's values," she told European reporters via video link from Washington.

Sherman went on to say that while China may be thousands of miles away, its actions “matter just as much for the future of Europe”.

She also welcomed ongoing cooperation with Europe, while seeking alignment in their approaches.

Sherman asserted that the US was neither seeking conflict with China nor wanted to sever its economy from the Asian country.

"We don't want a new Cold War", she said, but "we can't rely on Beijing to change its behavior".

The senior US diplomat also stressed that Washington was being vigilant over the alliance between Russia and China, threatening Beijing "with consequences" if it sends military equipment to Russia.

"Quite frankly, I think Russia and Putin will be a pariah for a very long time and I'm not sure the PRC will benefit," she maintained.

China blasts ‘smear’ after US says Beijing intent to reshape world order

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for vigorous competition with arch-foe China to preserve the existing global order but hastened to add that Washington did not seek a "Cold War."

Sherman's comments came in the wake of a recent speech by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who dubbed Beijing as the “most serious long-term challenge to the international order", despite the recent focus on the war in Ukraine. 

In a speech at George Washington University on May 25, Blinken called for vigorous competition with China to preserve the existing global order but added that Washington did not seek a "Cold War."

He emphasized that China remains the Biden administration’s top priority despite the support and aid the US is providing Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

Blinken said there was a growing consensus that other nations cannot change the trajectory of China, which he said has under President Xi Jinping become "more repressive at home, more aggressive abroad."

US-China relations have grown increasingly tense in recent years, with the world's two largest economies clashing over a range of issues, including trade, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, military activities in the South China Sea, and the origins of the coronavirus.

The tensions escalated dramatically during the previous US administration. Joe Biden has continued his predecessor’s China policy by maintaining tariffs, ramping up the US military presence in the South China Sea, and stepping up support for Chinese Taipei. 

China gears up to launch its third aircraft carrier

The latest development comes as China is poised to launch its largest and most advanced aircraft carrier—the Type 003.

New satellite imagery shows that after several years of work at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, where the much-anticipated aircraft is under construction, it may be afloat in the coming days.

It comes as the city has announced an end to its most recent coronavirus lockdown.

China says conducted military exercise around Taiwan to warn US

China says it has conducted a military exercise around Chinese Taipei as a "serious warning" to interactions between the US and the self-ruled island.

Reports suggesting that the work was gearing up at Jiangnan emerged last week after the Maritime Safety Administration issued a notice calling for berths at the Jiangnan Shipyard on Changxing Island to be vacated for an operation. 

It said the operation would be underway from 5.30 am to 4 pm on Monday and would involve five platforms, three tugboats, and two salvage ships.

China has been building up its naval capabilities as part of its goal of creating a world-class military by the middle of the century.

China’s Type 003 warship is not nuclear-powered, but the technological advances include an electromagnetic catapult system that will enable the Chinese military to launch fixed-wing aircraft with heavier bomb loads and more fuel for longer-range operations.

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