Instead of Going Backward, China and the US Should Meet Each Other Halfway

“The helmsman must know how to harness the storms, otherwise he will be overwhelmed by the wave.” Dr. Kissinger often mentioned this line from the then Chinese leader when he visited China in 1971.

After 50 years, the historical insight and vision of this line still leaves us much to consider. At this critical moment, all countries around the world are wondering what will happen to China-US relations.

In recent years, relations between China and the US have strained over multiple factors. Bilateral diplomatic and security relations have turned into strategic gaming on greater scales, economic and trade relations have become a source of friction; people-to-people exchanges that had been reaching deeper levels have been curbed. Relations between the two countries have sunk to their lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations.

What is causing all of these? The Trump administration’s extremely anti-China policies were culpable. Faced with the fact that China’s national strength increased significantly, some people in the US became off balance. To deal with the imaginary “China’s threat”, the Trump administration adopted a series of wrong words and deeds that have interfered in China’s internal affairs, harmed China’s interests, and created untrue rumors. Some individuals in the US have tried to decouple China and the United States, and even attempted to start the so-called new Cold War, pushing China-US relations into a more dangerous situation.

What is the result? China and the United States still cannot disengage, alter, or replace one another. With the in-depth development of economic globalization and cooperation, the interests of all countries are closely intertwined. Whether it was bullying in such forms as tariffs or buck-passing, facts have proved that the US was embarrassing itself. The Trump administration’s China policies have reached a dead end.

Take the trade war as an example, a report released by the US-China Business Council said that the US has benefited from trade and investment with China. The trade war with China failed to achieve the Trump administration’s main goals, but it did affect economic growth and employment in the US. According to the 2020 China Business Environment report, 91% of the interviewed US companies said they still gained profits in the Chinese market last year, and 87% said they would not leave China. Data also shows that China-US economic and trade cooperation has grown against the global downturn. In 2020, China-US trade in goods surpassed $580 billion, an increase of more than 8% year-on-year, of which China imported more than $130 billion from the United States, an increase of nearly 10% year-on-year.

The fact is clear to all. Former US Secretary of Treasury Henry Paulson pointed out that it would be wrong for the US and China to decouple. Once it happens, it would be difficult for the two countries to deal with international issues such as pandemic prevention and control, climate change, and nuclear proliferation.

Cooperation is better than friction, and dialogue is better than confrontation. People’s wish is the world’s trend. Promoting China-US relations to return to a predictable and constructive track is people’s wish. China-US relations not only carry the well-being of more than 1.7 billion people of the two countries, but also concern the interests of more than 7 billion people in the world. China and the US have built close bonds of interests and created precious spiritual wealth over the past 40 years, and these are the basis for China-US relations to advance.

When the wind is strong and the tides are high, we must be even more focused on our direction. We are aware that history is proceeding, and the world cannot go back to the past, especially after the Trump administration. How the ship of China-US relations avoid reefs and waves and sail toward a win-win future requires joint efforts by both parties. What is clear is that China and the US do not have to go their separate ways, but can reach the same destination by different routes. As Kissinger said in On China, China-US relations should not be a zero-sum relationship but a co-evolution one. In other words, we don’t want both sides to go on the same path, but we want to manage our own affairs well. We should commit to a shared future, make a bigger cake together and benefit the world.

“China should be seen as it is”, “normal interactions need to be restored”, “proper management of differences is called for”, “mutual beneficial cooperation ought to be broadened”, Yang Jiechi said in his latest video dialogue with the US National Committee on US-China Relations.

It is never too late to do the right thing. The US should show political foresight in a timely manner and meet China halfway. At present, China-US relations have come to a new crossroads and need new hopes. Under the unprecedented centei change, and in a world full of changes, China and the United States should uphold the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation. Through the restart of dialogue and rebuild mutual trust, and through expanded cooperation and tolerance, China-US relations will surely be injected new impetus and achieved stable advance.

Contributed by Cao Yunlong, Guangming Daily reporter

Translated by Ren Meiqi