The United States risks significant damage by pursuing sanctions against China and pulling American companies from the Chinese market, according to an interview conducted with FAN broadcaster Yaroslav Belousov. He offered his reading of the latest remarks from President Joe Biden, who suggested he would curb Western investment should Beijing back a military operation in Ukraine. The agency’s interlocutor emphasized that Washington’s reliance on the Chinese market is a matter of serious consequence for the United States as well as for its own firms operating abroad.
Belousov noted that Americans have far less leverage over China than over Russia, and that they would not inflict self-harm by using that leverage aggressively. From a broad economic perspective, he argued, the real global competitor to the United States is not Russia or the European Union, but China. The remark underscored the scale of China’s economic footprint and its growing influence on global trade and investment patterns.
He further claimed that Washington will not abandon efforts to shape China’s choices in both military and political arenas, but will pursue these aims while attempting to minimize damage to the United States itself. The strategy, in his view, involves seeking new channels to influence Beijing’s policies and to safeguard American interests in a world where economic interdependence with China is deeply entrenched.
Earlier, Biden spoke with PBS and warned that Beijing could lose Western investment if it provided support to Russia in its Ukraine actions. Following those statements, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the U.S. leader for what it called a breach of diplomatic decorum, signaling that the potential for friction in U.S.-China relations remains high. In this volatile context, policy makers in both capitals weigh the risks of escalation against the potential gains from a calibrated, investment-linked pressure strategy. The debate centers on how to deter aggressive actions without triggering a broader economic backlash that could ripple through markets and supply chains across North America and beyond.