Looking at the centennial relationship between China and the United States, several periods deserve our attention.
1) The eight-power allied forces invaded China: At that time, the United States was interested in China, which once dominated the East. The United States preferred to see China as an "Eastern country" that expanded its trade markets and spread Protestantism, rather than as a martyrdom of other Western powers.
2) World War II: The United States spared no effort to support the Nationalist government and cooperated with China in the anti-Fascist war. However, the defeat of the Kuomintang and the founding of New China was a blow to the United States. America's hostility to socialism was reflected in the Korean War and the economic blockade of China that followed.
3) Obama administration: US foreign policy has been moderate, and the general attitude toward China has been to seek cooperation. However, due to the US political system’s particularity, even if President Obama wanted to strengthen cooperation with China, restrictions in Congress and other government departments made his attitude towards China as objective as possible. This means that the US policy towards China is adjusted continuously, and the two countries have been competing and cooperating in international affairs.
Sino-American relations have become increasingly tense since Trump took office. The United States openly classified China and Russia as competitors of the United States and declared that China was a challenger and threat to the international order. Since the statement, the US started a trade war by openly suppressing China in politics, economics, culture, science and technology, education, and more. At the same time, America has been courting its Allies to interfere in China's internal affairs by challenging China's sovereignty in the South China Sea, by selling arms to Taiwan and meddling in Hong Kong.
Relations between China and the United States are now as close as they were during the Cold War. Cui Tiankai, China's ambassador to the United States, mentioned no "dialogue" between China and the United States is a very dangerous signal. As is known to all, communication is the best way to resolve disputes and clear up misunderstandings. If the two superpowers stop communicating, existing contradictions and conflicts will not be resolved. A little carelessness or a small trigger may lead to a bigger crisis or even disastrous consequences for the world in the long run.
I believe that in contemporary international relations, cooperation is better than friction, and dialogue is better than confrontation. As the two most important and influential countries, China and the United States need to strengthen dialogue and communication. There is no reason to close the door of discussion. This is not only a practical need but also a conclusion of history. Firstly, there will inevitably be differences and frictions between China and the US, which shows the importance of communication. Standing at a new historical starting point, the China and the United States’ power gap is narrowing. The possibility of interest conflicts and collisions between the two countries is also increasing. In the history of international relations, the contradiction between "established powers" and "emerging powers" has always been complex. If there is no effective communication, there will be an irretrievable rift between the two countries, eventually leading to war. Secondly, history has shown that China and the United States can resolve differences and achieve win-win results through dialogue and consultation. During Richard Nixon’s visit to China, he once said that today we come together not because of our shared beliefs but because of our common interests and hopes. Every country has the hope of a new world order in which differences will be respected. During the Cold War, China and the United States, through continuous “dialogue” and consultation, deepened not only bilateral relations but also made important contributions to maintaining world stability.
Some American politicians have reverted to the Cold War mentality, and Populism is on the rise in China. The increasingly serious confrontation has put China-US relations in the most difficult situation since the establishment of diplomatic ties and the whole world’s stability and prosperity in jeopardy. Rational thinkers will agree that a conflict-versus-China relationship serves no one's interests. Mutual respect and win-win cooperation should be the central theme of our bilateral relations. The "useless dialogue" advocated by US politicians is not only a disregard of reality but also a misreading of history and an irresponsible view of the future. As Kissinger, an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, once said, "To understand and handle the RELATIONSHIP between the United States and China requires a broad range of thinking and historical and philosophical speculation. Dialogue and communication are the foundation of the relationship." Both China and the United States should have the wisdom and responsibility of major countries to truly contribute to humanity’s progress and prosperity, instead of drifting apart due to their prejudices.
Comments