Much of today’s Western rhetoric about a new Cold War between the United States and China is being stoked by ignorance and fear. 

What does the West hope to gain from another Cold War? China is not the Soviet Union nor is it to be feared as many would like.

The fact is China is an integral part of the global economy seeking peaceful coexistence while the former Soviet Union was not.

The US is still the world’s biggest economy, followed by China. International Monetary Fund figures show that in terms of nominal gross domestic product, the US economy stood at US$21.44 trillion in 2019 followed by China at US$14.14 trillion and Japan at US$5.15 trillion.

China, like it or not, is now a major world player on the global economic and financial stage. It is also one of the big players in world trade. These are achievements which should be applauded rather than denigrated.

Another argument which is widely thrown around is the China military threat. Let us look at the facts. In 2019 the US was number one in military spending, at US$732 billion. China was well behind with US$261 billion. 

The truth is US military spending is more than that of the next nine countries combined including China. And US war machines have frequented the South China Sea but Chinese warships have not been seen near US shores.

Apart from the economic and military scaremongering, let us look at the blatant propaganda being spewed out almost daily by some sections of the English media.

Australia is one of those beating the Cold War drum.

Earlier The Weekend Australian ran a front-page story with the headline ‘Pompeo’s biological weapons warning: Covid ‘just China’s first virus threat’, referring to comments made by Mike Pompeo, who served as secretary of state in the former Donald Trump administration in the US.

The first paragraph read: “The world faces new pandemic outbreaks at least as deadly as COVID-19 because of the continued biological weapons research being undertaken in Chinese laboratories, Donald Trump’s secretary of state Mike Pompeo has declared.”

Where was the evidence?

Do not forget that the US is good at fabrication to get what it wants. 

Remember Colin Powell, secretary of state to then US president George W. Bush?

On Feb 5, 2003, Powell delivered to a packed United Nations the US case justifying war with Iraq, a case built on lies and fabrication. The fact is Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction.

Remember Bush’s famous line: “You are either with us or against us.”

When the French said ‘non’, he ordered that French fries be renamed “freedom fries”. 

The usual suspects — Britain and Australia — fell into line with their blinkers on, believing every word.

In later years Powell described his UN performance as “painful” and something that will “always be part of my record.” Indeed, Powell was destined for greater things and many had predicted him becoming the first black US president long before Barack Obama.

On page 2 of the same edition of The Weekend Australian was the headline, “We must cut China ties I helped build”. This story was based on an interview with a former trade minister for the state of South Australia, Tom Kenyon, who says he was wrong, and that Australia should “disengage economically” from China. 

Why? Because he felt the relationship with Beijing was of no value. 

It is no secret Chinese investment is moving out of Australia, as data compiled by the Australian National University over the last two years has shown. 

Anything to do with China, whether it is investment or research, is now examined by the Australian government to make sure it is in “the national interest”.

Academics, researchers, and scientists are now having their projects with Chinese institutions re-examined to make sure they are not tied to Chinese defence or security companies.

Many of them have voiced concern over the lack of government transparency and the use of racial profiling as big brother tries to weed out those who would do “harm to Australia and its way of life.”

Of course, the government denies this, especially when it comes to racial profiling. But ask any Chinese academic in Australia, including those who were born in this country, if they feel they are being singled out because of their ethnic background, and the answer would probably be ‘yes’.

All this just adds up to a new Cold War narrative. And history has shown us how these narratives are played out. Tell the people long enough and often enough the world is flat, and they will eventually believe you.

The US persisting with this narrative can endanger our world. How nations such as Australia and Britain blindly follow their “friend” is both puzzling and perturbing.

The earlier for them to ponder their paths and make remedies, the better. 

The author is a China Daily correspondent based in Sydney. 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.