By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
China and the United States should act with a sense of responsibility for history, the people, and the world, and handle their relations properly, said Chinese President Xi Jinping when meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing on June 19.
In this way, the two countries may contribute to global peace and development and help make the world, which is changing and turbulent, more stable, confident, and constructive, Xi said.
Xi expounded on China’s principled position and offered strategic guidance on the stable development of China-U.S. relations. This fully demonstrated China’s sense of responsibility as a significant country in stabilizing and improving China-U.S. relations.
The heads of state of the two countries met in Bali, Indonesia, last November, creating hard-won positive momentum for the two sides to recalibrate the China-U.S. relationship and bring it back on the right course.
However, a series of erroneous words and deeds by the U.S. side since then have disrupted the agenda of dialogue and cooperation agreed upon by the two countries.
It further revealed to the international society that the U.S. perception and views toward China are seriously distorted, which is the root cause of the difficulties currently faced by the China-U.S. relationship. The United States regards China as its “primary rival” and “the most consequential geopolitical challenge,” the result is that the United States China policy has entirely deviated from the rationale and soundtrack.
Blinken’s visit to Beijing came at a critical juncture in China-U.S. relations, and a choice must be made between dialogue, confrontation, cooperation, and conflict. This time, the talks between the two sides were candid, in-depth, and constructive.
The relations between China and the United States are at a low point, and the root cause is U.S. misperceptions toward China, which has led to misguided China policies. China hopes that the United States will adopt an objective and rational perception of China, work with China in the same direction, uphold the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and handle unexpected and sporadic events calmly, professionally, and rationally.
China also hopes that the United States could work with China to manage differences and avoid strategic surprises jointly, act on the essential common understandings reached by the two presidents in Bali with actual actions, avert the downward spiral of the relationship, and bring it back to the track of sound and steady development.
One of the important positive consensuses and results achieved this time was that both sides agreed to jointly implement the essential common understandings reached by the two presidents in Bali and to return to the agenda set by them.
China’s reception of Blinken’s visit fully demonstrated that China takes a stable and consistent policy toward the United States and is committed to building a stable, predictable, and constructive relationship with the United States.
Xi said that planet Earth is big enough to accommodate the respective development and shared prosperity of China and the United States. Like the Americans, the Chinese are dignified, confident, and self-reliant. They both have the right to pursue a better life. The two countries’ common interests should be valued, and their respective success is an opportunity instead of a threat to each other.
China always hopes to see a sound and steady China-U.S. relationship and believes that the two major countries can overcome various difficulties and find the right way to get along based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation. It reflects China’s responsibility for history, the people, and the world.
Major-country competition does not represent the trend of the times; still, less can it solve America’s problems or the world’s challenges. The international community is generally concerned about the current state of China-U.S. relations. It does not want to see conflict or confrontation between China and the United States or choose sides between the two countries. It expects the two countries to coexist peacefully and have friendly and cooperative relations.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has repeatedly warned that the fate of humanity depends on whether America and China can get along, and there will be no winner in the conflict between the two sides.
China respects U.S. interests and does not seek to challenge or displace the United States. In the same vein, the United States needs to respect China and must not hurt China’s legitimate rights and interests. Neither side should try to shape the other side by its own will, still less deprive the other side of its legitimate right to development.
The Taiwan question is the core of China’s interests, the most significant issue, and the most pronounced risk in the China-U.S. relationship. The U.S. side must abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communique and truly deliver on its commitment of not supporting “Taiwan independence.”
Managing and stabilizing China-U.S. relations is an ongoing process to which there’s no end. To fully release the positive effects of the dialogue, the two sides must act sincerely and proactively to implement the consensus and outcomes achieved through the conversation. Communication should not be carried out for communication; one can’t say one thing and act differently.
China is committed to maintaining the stability of China-U.S. relations and remains open to dialogue, but it will never sacrifice its national interests. The United States claimed that it does not seek a new Cold War, it does not seek to change China’s system, its alliances are not directed at China, it does not support “Taiwan independence,” and it does not seek conflict with China. It is hoped that the United States can do what it says.
At the meeting venue, blooming lotus flowers were placed in the middle of the meeting table. The Chinese word for “lotus” sounds like “peace” and “harmony.” China will remain committed to handling the China-U.S. relationship in line with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.
It is hoped that the U.S. side can adopt a rational and pragmatic attitude, work with China in the same direction, remain committed to the shared understandings reached by the two heads of state in Bali, and translate the positive statements into actions to stabilize and improve China-U.S. relations.
(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)
