Home » Opinion » Chinese Views
Respecting each others' core interests
By Ni Tao |
February 9, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AS one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world, Sino-US ties have grown dramatically since the two countries normalized their relations 40 years ago.
During the height of the Cold War in 1970s, certain common threats brought China and the US, two former antagonists, closer together. But establishment of diplomatic relations is also the product of ingenuity and statesmanship of both countries' politicians.
US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's secret visit to China in 1971 and the subsequent visit by US President Richard Nixon in the following year profoundly changed world politics, with signing of the Three Communiques laying the groundwork for China-US rapprochement.
Experts and diplomats were gathered in Shanghai on Monday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the inception of the Three Communiques. The meeting was held by China's Foreign Ministry and Shanghai Institute of International Studies, on the eve of Vice President Xi Jinping's US visit, scheduled for next week.
Forty years on, one cannot help but marvel at the sea change in Sino-US relationship, reflected by statistics.
There were no exchange students between the two nations four decades ago, whereas educational exchange now plays a key role in the bilateral ties. The US Consulate in Shanghai issued last year 59,000 student visas to Chinese applicants in Shanghai alone, Robert Griffiths, US Consul General in Shanghai, told the gathering. Chinese students studying in the US now number 128,000, making them the largest foreign student population.
US-China trade totaled US$440 billion last year, 176 times as much as a mere US$2.5 billion, the trade volume before normalization of their ties. Besides, China used to be a net recipient of US investment. Its businesses now are venturing abroad to acquire US firms and set up factories in the country, Griffiths said.
Frictions are inevitable, for instance trade disputes. But a few steps backward cannot eclipse the big picture of bilateral relations, he said.
There are some misconceptions that China is gaining at US expense, but the truth is that "prosperity on one side will only lead to prosperity on the other side," for "our fates are joined together," Griffiths told the conference.
It's not surprising that problems will emerge with increasing complexities of the Sino-US ties, but they should not be dealt with "as 'we win-you lose,' zero-sum challenges," said Richard H. Solomon, president of the United States Institute of Peace.
The recent US repositioning of its military in East Asia has aroused China's concerns, however hard the US tries to play down this strategic move.
In redeploying its troops in the region, the US doesn't seek to undermine China's security, Solomon said, but to "maintain a balance of forces," or "equilibrium."
However, he admitted that "equilibrium" or "balance" - if not well managed - can degenerate into confrontation.
Fortunately, the shared interests far outnumber the disagreements that divide the two nations. With China playing a bigger role in the settlement of global conflicts and crises, the room for broadened Sino-US cooperation has considerably expanded, most notably on the Korean nuclear issue.
Christopher Hill, former US representative at the nuclear talks and now dean of the University of Denver's School of International Studies, hailed China's initiative to resolve the crisis through the Six-Party Talks, yet expressed regret that "strategic mistrust" hampered further coordination.
"Whatever the outcome on the Korean peninsula there needs to be better understanding between China and the US that neither will take advantage of any changes to the detriment of the other's interests," Hill said.
Opportunities
Mutual respect of each other's core interests hence should be the approach to navigating challenges that arise in Sino-US relations.
Even though the US "return" to Asia adds to mistrust, there still are plenty of opportunities for the US and China to cooperate on hot-button issues in China's immediate neighborhood.
Maintaining stability and prosperity in Asia is in both US and China's interests, said Shen Dingli, head of the Center for American Studies, Fudan University.
When we reflect on the legacies of the Three Communiques, we should take note that it will continue to be a framework for future cooperation despite our differences.
"A great historical accomplishment cannot be seen only in terms of what it achieved at the time, but rather what it can signify for the future," Hill said.
During the height of the Cold War in 1970s, certain common threats brought China and the US, two former antagonists, closer together. But establishment of diplomatic relations is also the product of ingenuity and statesmanship of both countries' politicians.
US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's secret visit to China in 1971 and the subsequent visit by US President Richard Nixon in the following year profoundly changed world politics, with signing of the Three Communiques laying the groundwork for China-US rapprochement.
Experts and diplomats were gathered in Shanghai on Monday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the inception of the Three Communiques. The meeting was held by China's Foreign Ministry and Shanghai Institute of International Studies, on the eve of Vice President Xi Jinping's US visit, scheduled for next week.
Forty years on, one cannot help but marvel at the sea change in Sino-US relationship, reflected by statistics.
There were no exchange students between the two nations four decades ago, whereas educational exchange now plays a key role in the bilateral ties. The US Consulate in Shanghai issued last year 59,000 student visas to Chinese applicants in Shanghai alone, Robert Griffiths, US Consul General in Shanghai, told the gathering. Chinese students studying in the US now number 128,000, making them the largest foreign student population.
US-China trade totaled US$440 billion last year, 176 times as much as a mere US$2.5 billion, the trade volume before normalization of their ties. Besides, China used to be a net recipient of US investment. Its businesses now are venturing abroad to acquire US firms and set up factories in the country, Griffiths said.
Frictions are inevitable, for instance trade disputes. But a few steps backward cannot eclipse the big picture of bilateral relations, he said.
There are some misconceptions that China is gaining at US expense, but the truth is that "prosperity on one side will only lead to prosperity on the other side," for "our fates are joined together," Griffiths told the conference.
It's not surprising that problems will emerge with increasing complexities of the Sino-US ties, but they should not be dealt with "as 'we win-you lose,' zero-sum challenges," said Richard H. Solomon, president of the United States Institute of Peace.
The recent US repositioning of its military in East Asia has aroused China's concerns, however hard the US tries to play down this strategic move.
In redeploying its troops in the region, the US doesn't seek to undermine China's security, Solomon said, but to "maintain a balance of forces," or "equilibrium."
However, he admitted that "equilibrium" or "balance" - if not well managed - can degenerate into confrontation.
Fortunately, the shared interests far outnumber the disagreements that divide the two nations. With China playing a bigger role in the settlement of global conflicts and crises, the room for broadened Sino-US cooperation has considerably expanded, most notably on the Korean nuclear issue.
Christopher Hill, former US representative at the nuclear talks and now dean of the University of Denver's School of International Studies, hailed China's initiative to resolve the crisis through the Six-Party Talks, yet expressed regret that "strategic mistrust" hampered further coordination.
"Whatever the outcome on the Korean peninsula there needs to be better understanding between China and the US that neither will take advantage of any changes to the detriment of the other's interests," Hill said.
Opportunities
Mutual respect of each other's core interests hence should be the approach to navigating challenges that arise in Sino-US relations.
Even though the US "return" to Asia adds to mistrust, there still are plenty of opportunities for the US and China to cooperate on hot-button issues in China's immediate neighborhood.
Maintaining stability and prosperity in Asia is in both US and China's interests, said Shen Dingli, head of the Center for American Studies, Fudan University.
When we reflect on the legacies of the Three Communiques, we should take note that it will continue to be a framework for future cooperation despite our differences.
"A great historical accomplishment cannot be seen only in terms of what it achieved at the time, but rather what it can signify for the future," Hill said.
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