US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s designation of Washington-Beijing ties as “G2” carries a “deeply problematic” meaning that sidelines United States’ allies and partners in the region, a US lawmaker has stated in a letter.

“This term carries deeply problematic connotations of depicting the United States and PRC [the People’s Republic of China] as coequal and primarily cooperative powers responsible for deciding global issues while sidelining US democratic allies and partners,” the letter said.

“In reality, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views the United States as its primary strategic adversary and is making unrelenting efforts to replace it as the world’s most powerful and influential nation.”

US Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi. Photo: Chicago Tribune/TNS

Chinese senior officials, including President Xi Jinping, have repeatedly said China does not seek to replace the US and does not see Washington as its prime competitor.