Balloon incident highlights US' malicious intent

After the multiple failures of allegations including "wolf warrior diplomacy", "debt trap diplomacy "and "a new form of colonization", the United States and some of its allies were in need of a new narrative to help them undermine China. The US did not disappoint its allies, providing them with a new outcry of "spy balloon" to run malicious propaganda campaigns.

The US is tirelessly fanning up the recent balloon incident, in which the US military shot down a Chinese civilian airship that had drifted into US airspace, to make it a big issue. Politicians are leaving no stone unturned in blaming China, trying to use the incident to create opportunities for diplomatic and security conflicts.

The efforts have been successful, to some extent, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his planned visit to China, and more Chinese companies have been blacklisted. Although the visit would have been important in the context of ongoing bilateral tension, the cancellation was not a surprise.

The US reaction made it clear that the situation has become further complicated. The analysis of events indicates that the US is preparing for a prolonged conflict with China. To achieve the objective, the US has adopted a new strategy, as old strategies of intimidation have failed miserably.

The US and its allies blatantly interfered in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and portrayed rioters there in 2019 as heroes of democracy. It was a well-calculated move to intimidate China. It failed, as an overwhelming majority of Hong Kong people refused to buy the Western narrative.

In August last year, then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi made a high-profile visit to China's Taiwan region in an ultimate move to drag Beijing into conflict. Fortunately, Beijing showed restraint and did not fall into the trap.

After the backlash of the visit, the US changed its strategy in containing China. The anti-Beijing elements were desperate to find new ways to create conflict with China, and came up with the idea of using a civilian aircraft to create a fuss and try to pave the way for conflict.

The US is portraying the balloon's accidental entry into US airspace as a gross violation of national sovereignty and has started to build momentum against China, waging a new and malicious propaganda campaign against China, using the loudspeakers of Western media. The US apparently feels it is a good chance to convert the incident into conflict.

It seems the US and its allies are hellbent on starting a conflict with China, as all other options to contain China have been exhausted. China is showing restraint and not falling into the trap. However, this does not affect the determination of the US and its allies. The US military-industrial complex is really pushing, seeing the situation as an excellent opportunity to fulfill its dream of containing China. It is being assertive and has deployed the usual instruments of narrative building, like so-called independent think tanks and liberal media outlets.

Peace-loving people and countries are disturbed and are asking the US not to inflate the situation further. The world is already full of problems, conflicts and wars. Thus, it would be wise to resolve this nonissue in a peaceful way. There is a need for cooperation among all, and there are many avenues and programs for countries to work together, including the United Nations.

China, meanwhile, has presented two unique ideas — the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative — to build global cooperation. The initiatives, which have been designed to achieve the goals of global development and sustainable peace, have all the ingredients to help the world sort out its problems and pave the way for sustainable peace.

For that purpose, powerful countries need to come out of the mentality of self-interest. They have to say goodbye to slogans like "my country first" and "my way is the best way". They need to realize and comprehend that the world is diverse in terms of culture, governance, economy and social behavior. Therefore, no single system or country can take care of everyone's needs. We need to give space to diversity and promote a culture of respect.

People and countries must absorb the idea that we are a close-knit community of human beings. We are dependent on one another. Therefore, the best way to ensure peaceful coexistence is to learn to respect one another.

We must believe that peace is a prerequisite for the sustainability of humanity and the planet. However, peace can only be achieved through inclusive development and social justice. Thus, the world should promote inclusive development and social justice for each and every human, without any distinction of race, religion or color. The best way to do so is through cooperation.

The author, a political economist, is CEO of the Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development in Pakistan and author of Understanding of China for Future Cooperation.