Home » Opinion » Foreign Views
40 years of Sino-US ties see progress and challenges
By Richard H. Solomon |
February 9, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
EDITOR'S note:
This is the first of a three-part article adapted from the author's presentation to the Shanghai Institute of International Studies on February 6. The views are his own.
I am honored to speak at this recognition of a major event in the history of our two countries: the 40th anniversary of President Nixon's trip to China in February 1972.
I was privileged to have played a supporting role in organizing the trip, as a member of Henry Kissinger's national security council staff.
The president's week-long visit to China concluded with publication of the Shanghai Communique, a unique joint political document that established the principles for normalizing US-China relations.
Looking back over four decades, it is clear that the President's visit, and his discussions with Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai, fundamentally changed the political dynamic of the Cold War - to the benefit of the security of both our countries. Full normalization of Sino-American relations was completed by President Carter and Deng Xiaoping in late 1978.
Where are US-China relations today? Some have characterized them as "strategically ambiguous." We are neither allies nor adversaries. We have major areas of cooperation - especially in economic relations - but also significant areas of competition and disagreement.
Common interests
We share common interest in national security and a stable international environment; yet we have limited areas of cooperation and a significant measure of distrust.
Our relations today are in a contradictory state of opportunity and some antagonism. If our areas of disagreement are not carefully managed, we could again become adversaries.
To fully appreciate the significance of President Nixon's visit to China, it is useful to put the event in historical context.
From this perspective, the decision of Chairman Mao and President Nixon to break out of two decades of confrontation is one of historic significance. It is one of the few, great diplomatic initiatives of the 20th century.
It may be a surprise, but my first point about history is to recall a statement made over two centuries ago - by the French emperor Napoleon.
Napoleon was aware of the declining power of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when he said in 1803 that the world should let China sleep, for when she wakes she will "shake the world."
That far-sighted observation was made shortly before the British imposed on the faltering Qing Dynasty the opium trade and the treaty port system. This set in motion for China a century-and-a-half of foreign interventions, revolutions and war.
We can debate when China's "awakening" began, but certainly the founding of the People's Republic in 1949 was an important part of the process of recovering from that bad past. As Chairman Mao put it at the time, "the Chinese people, led by the Communist Party of China, have quickly awakened."
As you know, China then established a treaty relationship with the Soviet Union and began its economic reconstruction following the Soviet model of central planning.
By the late 1950s China's alliance with the Soviet Union began to break down, and in the following decade it degenerated into a military confrontation. Given the Cold War atmosphere of the time, many in the United States welcomed the growing confrontation between Moscow and Beijing.
Farsighted
One view was that the US should benefit from this situation by - as the Chinese saying goes - "sitting on the mountain and watching the tigers fight."
But President Nixon had a different view. He said many times that he saw no fundamental conflicts of interest between our two countries.
This view was difficult for many Americans to believe. At that time the US was mired in the war in Vietnam, and China was supporting North Vietnam. Moreover, within China the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) included strong attacks on "American imperialism."
The great significance of President Nixon's China policy was that - in this confrontational environment - he took a far-sighted and risky initiative to normalize relations with China. And no doubt there were also risks for Chairman Mao in seeking to end the confrontation with the United States.
Richard H. Solomon is president of the United States Institute of Peace.
This is the first of a three-part article adapted from the author's presentation to the Shanghai Institute of International Studies on February 6. The views are his own.
I am honored to speak at this recognition of a major event in the history of our two countries: the 40th anniversary of President Nixon's trip to China in February 1972.
I was privileged to have played a supporting role in organizing the trip, as a member of Henry Kissinger's national security council staff.
The president's week-long visit to China concluded with publication of the Shanghai Communique, a unique joint political document that established the principles for normalizing US-China relations.
Looking back over four decades, it is clear that the President's visit, and his discussions with Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai, fundamentally changed the political dynamic of the Cold War - to the benefit of the security of both our countries. Full normalization of Sino-American relations was completed by President Carter and Deng Xiaoping in late 1978.
Where are US-China relations today? Some have characterized them as "strategically ambiguous." We are neither allies nor adversaries. We have major areas of cooperation - especially in economic relations - but also significant areas of competition and disagreement.
Common interests
We share common interest in national security and a stable international environment; yet we have limited areas of cooperation and a significant measure of distrust.
Our relations today are in a contradictory state of opportunity and some antagonism. If our areas of disagreement are not carefully managed, we could again become adversaries.
To fully appreciate the significance of President Nixon's visit to China, it is useful to put the event in historical context.
From this perspective, the decision of Chairman Mao and President Nixon to break out of two decades of confrontation is one of historic significance. It is one of the few, great diplomatic initiatives of the 20th century.
It may be a surprise, but my first point about history is to recall a statement made over two centuries ago - by the French emperor Napoleon.
Napoleon was aware of the declining power of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when he said in 1803 that the world should let China sleep, for when she wakes she will "shake the world."
That far-sighted observation was made shortly before the British imposed on the faltering Qing Dynasty the opium trade and the treaty port system. This set in motion for China a century-and-a-half of foreign interventions, revolutions and war.
We can debate when China's "awakening" began, but certainly the founding of the People's Republic in 1949 was an important part of the process of recovering from that bad past. As Chairman Mao put it at the time, "the Chinese people, led by the Communist Party of China, have quickly awakened."
As you know, China then established a treaty relationship with the Soviet Union and began its economic reconstruction following the Soviet model of central planning.
By the late 1950s China's alliance with the Soviet Union began to break down, and in the following decade it degenerated into a military confrontation. Given the Cold War atmosphere of the time, many in the United States welcomed the growing confrontation between Moscow and Beijing.
Farsighted
One view was that the US should benefit from this situation by - as the Chinese saying goes - "sitting on the mountain and watching the tigers fight."
But President Nixon had a different view. He said many times that he saw no fundamental conflicts of interest between our two countries.
This view was difficult for many Americans to believe. At that time the US was mired in the war in Vietnam, and China was supporting North Vietnam. Moreover, within China the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) included strong attacks on "American imperialism."
The great significance of President Nixon's China policy was that - in this confrontational environment - he took a far-sighted and risky initiative to normalize relations with China. And no doubt there were also risks for Chairman Mao in seeking to end the confrontation with the United States.
Richard H. Solomon is president of the United States Institute of Peace.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
