United States and China: giants of concern | Opinion

Two major political spectacles took place on both sides of the Pacific this week: Super Tuesday in the United States and the meeting of the legislature and top advisory body in China. The appointments turned out to be as predictable as they were daunting. And they are the two countries that can most influence the rest of the world.

Barring any surprises, Joe Biden and Donald Trump will compete for the White House in November. We’ll see at rebirth of the 2020 elections, albeit with much more anxiety. None of the candidates convinces the majority of the population, and rightly so. In Trump’s case, he has four open court cases, yet he managed to show up, supported by a loyal and enthusiastic base, to whom he presents himself as a “political dissident”. He is a wizard when it comes to managing the system and denying it at the same time. President Biden also has no rivals, despite the fact that he is burdened by his ailments, his falls and, above all, by the way he is managing the war in Gaza. Sending bombs and missiles to Israel in the midst of the massacre in the Strip is generating such rejection in a part of the democratic electorate that it could cost this Administration dearly at the polls.

Meanwhile, more than 9,000 kilometers away, China showed its cards in the phone calls Liang Hui or “Two Sessions”, that of the National People’s Assembly and the Consultative Conference. Like every year, millimetric and planned, the Chinese Government has released its roadmap. But with something new: for the first time in three decades, the prime minister did not hold his traditional press conference. There wasn’t even the chance to ask him filtered questions. Beijing no longer needs to pretend to be minimally open towards the foreign press. What matters to him are investors, convincing them that they are not that bad. Even if they know that growing at 5% with millions of poor people and many underdeveloped regions is a serious problem. To be a technological powerhouse they need companies to stay aligned with the interests of the Communist Party. Politically, assertive continuity: both options in the United States look bad. Biden is more predictable; Trump more isolationist, which benefits China, although at the same time he could be more aggressive with sanctions and tariffs. A few days ago many media reported the statements of Zhao Minghao, professor of international relations at the prestigious Fudan University. He said that both Biden and Trump are two bowls of poison for China.