US to continue to contain China to 'deflect attention' from domestic challenges -- Russian expert

MOSCOW - The United States will continue to toughen its stance towards China in a bid to restrain the Asian country and "deflect attention" from its domestic challenges and overseas mistakes, a Russian political scientist has said.

"The United States views China's economic development as a fundamental, existential threat to the US businesses and its global leadership, hence the attempts to push Chinese companies, in particular, Huawei, out of the high-tech market," Sergei Markov, general director of the Moscow-based Institute for Political Studies, told Xinhua recently.

As Chinese companies are beginning to outperform their US competitors in the traditional technologies and hi-tech sectors, "the United States will spare no effort in retaining its leadership in the industry," said Markov.

Meanwhile, the United States fears its development model will no longer be attractive and make way for new alternatives, while that of China, with unique cultural and social traditions, management systems, economic approaches, and perceptions of social and state institutions, has been more attractive, Markov said.

This model is becoming more and more attractive amid China's achievements in the space sector, in the high-tech industry, as well as the social and cultural spheres, Markov added.

With China developing faster and its position in the world being strengthened, US elites are afraid that "they will soon no longer be able to restrain China's growth," which explains why even more anti-Chinese rhetoric and actions can be expected, he said.

In addition, growing domestic contradictions and challenges -- from the growth of social stratification, to the falling incomes of the middle class, increasing racial disparities, growing inflation, and a general increase of economic problems -- have also prompted US ruling elites to strengthen their anti-Chinese stance, Markov said.

"All this creates the need to deflect attention from domestic challenges and focus on other problems," he said.

Washington's aim, according to Markov, is to shift the media's focus from the real challenges the country is facing to those countries portrayed as "external enemies" that pose a so-called threat to national security.