Avoid a cold war with China

A man photographs a screen showing a speech by Xi Jinping in Beijing.STR / EFE

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• China rejects accusations of cyberattacks, lashes out at the United States

A broad front of Western powers has jointly singled out China this week for a serious cyber espionage campaign. The episode gives rise to some considerations about the complex relationship between the Asian giant and liberal democracies, affected by tensions that threaten to configure a new cold war. The unusual breadth of the coordinated response, which included the US, EU, NATO, UK, Canada, Japan and Australia, shows a growing sense of need for unity in the face of an increasingly assertive China in the domestic dimension - relentless repression in Hong Kong and Xinjiang— and in its international projection.

The remarkable effort of union, however, also shows the great difficulties to establish a common position of the West. The denunciation statements contained very different formulations - some with very direct accusations to Beijing, others more cautious -; and there was no coordinated reaction in terms of sanctions. Even with these limits, joint action is a positive episode, because it is clear that in multiple circumstances it will be appropriate to add the joint weight of Western democracies so that certain messages reach Beijing more clearly. Absolute uniformity is not necessary; the EU would do well to cultivate its own position; but you have to prepare to defend certain red lines in a coordinated way.

The pulse between the West and China is different from that which was fought with the USSR. In the first place, because there is a much higher level of overlap between the two poles - due to investment and trade -; later, because China seems thrown to acquire a level of power higher than that reached by the USSR. In these circumstances, it does not seem logical to maintain a confrontational attitude or to seek broad decoupling and isolation from China. But it is important to increase autonomy in strategic sectors, slow down the acquisition of companies in some areas and, in certain circumstances, make an effort - renouncing certain nuances - so that Beijing notices the very closed ranks.