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Comment by grunder_advice | Hacker News Reader

It's not like relations between China and the West aren't already as hostile as the West can tolerate.

Just out of curiosity, what country manufactured the device you typed that comment on? There’s a lot of room for relations to get more hostile.

Where are you from?

The US shifted from "China is an economic power we should worry about" to "China is a military power we should worry about", but to me it seems to be a recent mind shift serving the current administration narrative.

As a European, I don't think there is much hostility against China here. Sure, people don't like the overall humanitarian situation with Uyghurs; and there are the usual issues with lobbying, intelligence, and currency manipulation, but overall the general public sentiment is rather neutral I would say.

It is amazing in fact how willingly Europe seems to be running into the arms of the actual fascist dictator, Xi, at the first sign of turmoil in the US. The US is written off as a lost cause and you cozy up with a government that is everything you dislike about the current US administration but on steroids. All because the US wants the EU to pay for its own war.

youll get cheaper EVs though I guess

That’s quite an interesting take. You don’t think Europe doing more trade with China (I assume this is what cozying up means?), is a result of a wildly unpredictable trade policy and threats to invade Europe? Instead because the US with their global military presence are sick of footing the bill for it?

You’ll get cheaper oil though I guess?

Not at all. Perhaps you weren't paying attention but the narrative around relations with China started shifting during the Obama administration circa 2011. The bipartisan national security establishment is now broadly aligned with treating China as an adversary and strategic competitor.

>"China as an adversary and strategic competitor."

Nut sure about adversary. As for strategic competitor - this is normal state of affairs. Countries do compete and it is healthy

Be sure. The US national security establishment absolutely considers China to be an adversary. Look for terms like "pacing threat" when they discuss military acquisition programs.

This is an existential issue. Health has nothing to do with it.

>"The US national security establishment absolutely considers China to be an adversary"

I think any country that does not agree that the US should rule the world and is able to challenge it is considered an adversary.

Nonsense. They can and should push back much more. If Europe were to show a united front there's little China could do to punish them. Their only option would be to cosy up to America/Trump, which is a realistic possibility, but it's something they would be very uncomfortable with.

> It's not like relations between China and the West aren't already as hostile as the West can tolerate.

It's just the US that's publicly wary of china, heck, it's just Trump

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