Reinforcing sanctions on China only undermines U.S. hegemony: expert

TOKYO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Hammering China with expansive sanctions has resulted in diminishing returns and can only undermine U.S. hegemony, said a Canada-based geo-strategist.

In a commentary entitled "Expanding China sanctions only undermines U.S. hegemony" and published by Nikkei Asia on Wednesday, Owais Zaheer, a geo-strategist who advises financial institutions on geopolitical developments and risks, analyzed various forms of U.S. sanctions on China, pointing out the downside of Washington's coercive measures.

"The United States now routinely relies on sanctions, export controls and other forms of coercion to counter Chinese activities," Zaheer said, listing examples of "an unrelenting focus on human rights," "a variety of trade-related restrictions denying China access to microchips and other cutting-edge technology" and so on.

"But the stark new reality is that Washington's frequent reliance on sanctions tools is resulting in diminishing returns," he said.

The expert pointed out that, China, mimicking the United States, is rapidly building up its own domestic legal tools to counter all these sanctions.

"U.S. sanctions pressure has also seen led to a strategic convergence between China and Russia," Zaheer said.

In the long run, these moves may effectively limit the reach of U.S. sanctions and, ultimately, dilute Washington's global financial dominance, the expert said.