Within the past fortnight, China has taken two steps that undermine the ability of the incoming Biden administration to build a western alliance to contain China’s growing and increasingly aggressive global assertiveness.
On the final day of 2020, China signed an investment pact with the European Union despite pleas from Biden advisers to hold off until the new administration had an opportunity to talk through the common concerns of the US and Europe about China’s economic policies and practices.
Then, at the weekend, China announced a response to the myriad of sanctions the Trump administration has imposed on its companies and individuals, unveiling a new set of rules that purport to counter foreign laws that “unjustly prohibit or restrict” Chinese companies or individuals from undertaking their normal business.