Evan Medeiros on the 'Securitization' of U.S.-China Relations - YouTube

So, security competition has been at the heart of the U.S.-China relationship since the end

of the Cold War.

Differences over the status of Taiwan, differences over the validity of U.S. alliances, U.S.

force structure, and American concerns about the PLA (the Chinese military) are not new

to the U.S.-China relationship.

But securitization is a different phenomenon.

That is the phenomenon in which security issues begin to collide with economic issues in a

way that is making the economic agenda and the security agenda overlap.

There are a growing number of American concerns about the security implications of the U.S.-China

economic relationship; that's securitization.

Well, the main facet of the relationship where securitization is occurring is the economic

relationship.

In other words, the economic agenda is assuming a security competition dimension.

For example, there are now many American analysts and government officials looking at the security

threats emanating from U.S.-China trade, Chinese investment in the United States, and U.S.-China

interactions on cyber issues.

The economic agenda is not just about creating a level playing field; it's not just about

making sure American companies are competitive in the China market.

It is also about protecting American national security.

Securitization of the economic relationship affects diplomacy between both sides by increasingly

characterizing the relationship in competitive terms.

In other words, the economic relationship between the United States and China used to

be a mix of cooperation and competition, maybe even sort of 50-50 or 60-40 competition versus

cooperation.

But the securitization dimension of it makes the economic relationship even more competitive,

which shrinks the space for Americans to see China as a potential cooperative partner in

addressing global challenges.

In other words, securitization is a clear headwind to more diplomatic cooperation with

China.

Hostility is a strong word to define the U.S.-China relationship.

There is no question that competition has moved to the forefront of the relationship

as the cooperative agenda has receded.

The securitization of the economic relationship is one of the dimensions driving more competition

in the U.S.-China relationship.

My concern is that if the issues of security concerns related to U.S.-China interactions

are not addressed, that competition could eventually evolve into issues of rivalry and

put the relationship on a long-term trajectory toward confrontation.

It is hard to tell.

It is clearly occurring right now, and that is resulting in a lot of U.S. assessments

and changes in laws and regulations to more heavily scrutinize, on the one hand, Chinese

investment coming into the United States, to make sure that the Chinese aren't getting

access to national security-related information, R&D, etc.

But it's also affecting the trade relationship, because the U.S. is now working on new export

control laws to monitor and police the export of critical and foundational and emerging

technologies from the United States to China.

So, this is one of the short-term phenomena that could become a long-term phenomenon.

And now there's a lot of debate in the United States about whether or not there will gradually

be a technology decoupling.

In other words: in areas of bilateral technology, trade and investment, where the United States

and China are competing head-on, that our supply chains and production networks will

essentially be decoupled, because it is too much of a national security risk to the United

States to have Chinese technologies in our computer supply chain, our 5G supply chain,

maybe even in the supply chain related to new energy vehicles.