The Chinese Dream Is Conducive to the Sino-U.S. Relationship

By ZHOU WENZHONG

DURING his talks with U.S. President Barack Obama at Rancho Mirage， California last J une， Chinese President Xi J inping told his American counterpart that the main purpose of his state visit was to establish a blueprint for future development of Sino-U.S. relations and for cooperation across the Pacific Ocean. The meeting is hence widely viewed as a strategic diplomatic event between the two countries leaderships – one equal to their “handshake across the Pacific Ocean” in 1972.

During the two presidents talks last J une， Xi elaborated on the relationship between the Chinese Dream and the world. Xi said that the Chinese Dream is consistent with the wishes， including the American Dream， of all peoples. It is nothing more than the desire for a prosperous nation， a strong people and a happy life achieved through cooperation， common development and peaceful， win-win efforts.

New-type Relationship

During their J une meetings， Xi and Obama concurred that in the face of rapid globalization and the resultant reality that all countries today sail in the same boat， China and the U.S. can break free from the old mentality of confrontation and conflict.This goal calls for the building of a new type of relationship between the worlds two largest economies – one that features mutual respect and win-win. Such a relationship will benefit the two peoples and humanity as a whole.

In President Obamas first term of office， the two countries publicly agreed to build a cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit. The “new-type relationship between major countries” agreed upon between the two leaders last J une marks a further step in bilateral ties. It is an extension and moreover an innovation of the old consensus whereby greater emphasis is laid on no confrontation and no conflict.

China and the U.S. have different political systems and disparate ideologies. The rise of China has prompted growing angst in the U.S.， resulting in policy changes in the Asia-Pacific– from defense shifts to pivoting to so-called “rebalancing” in the region. China and the U.S. perceive the pressing need to break away from the historical rut of contention between existing and emerging powers and reach consensus on a new type of relationship between major countries wherein they no longer pit against one another. In this sense the Xi-Obama meeting is seen as charting the future of Sino-U.S. relations.

The formation of this new-type relationship between China and the U.S. will lend splendor to both the Chinese Dream and the American Dream. As， respectively， the worlds largest developing country and most developed country， China and the U.S. are obligated to make greater contributions to world peace and development. Their new relationship can also contribute towards realizing the aspirations of other peoples.

At the meeting Mr. Obama said he was “very much hoping this [Xis visit] would constitute a strong foundation for the kind of new model of cooperation that we can establish for years to come.” He told Xi： “We believe that a peaceful， stable and prosperous China is not only good for the Chinese but also for the United States and the world.”

Converging Interests

The Chinese and American Dreams are compatible， because the common interests of the two peoples far outnumber their divergences. Both countries share the desire to maintain peace， stability and economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region of which they are both a part.

Last J uly the fifth round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue （S&ED） took place in Washington DC. Senior officials from the two countries worked on a wide array of bilateral， regional and international topics varying from trade to diplomacy. Prior to and during the two-day event， Chinese and American delegates held the third round of the Strategic Security Dialogue （SSD）， the first meeting of the Cyber Working Group （CWG） under the SSD， the Strategic Track， and the Economic Track. The S&ED was devised as a forum in which to discuss strategic， long-term issues pertinent to the comprehensive relationship between the two countries. The mechanism plays a significant role in promoting healthy development of Sino-U.S. relations and in facilitating strategic communica- tions between Chinese and American leaders. It also bolsters and extends economic cooperation between the two countries， laying a solid economic foundation for the new-type relationship they are working on between major countries.

Full diplomatic relations between the PRC and the USA， established 30 years ago， have benefited both parties. In 1972， the year Richard Milhous Nixon visited China， trade between the two countries stood at a paltry US $50 million. By 2012 this figure had skyrocketed close to US $500 billion. China and the U.S. are now one anothers largest trade partners， besides the EU. This interdependence is unprecedented. As long as their leaders shun the obsolete Cold War mentality， the two peoples will find that their visions of the future are both compatible and mutually congenial.

Without a cooperative and win-win relationship between the worlds two largest economies， it will be impossible to find solutions to many thorny regional and international issues. Zbigniew Brzezinski， national security advisor of the Carter administration， oversaw the normalization of Sino-U.S. diplomatic relations three decades ago. Today， at age 85， he is still an active political scientist and geostrategist in Washington. He said in a recent interview that China and the U.S. have much joint capacity for collaboration. He believes it important that they collaborate as this will be of benefit to the world at large， and consolidate and deepen bilateral ties.

The U.S. faces the challenge of ditching Cold War thinking and treating China as a partner and friend. American politicians have diverse opinions about China， and Congress often plays a counterproductive role in bilateral ties. The two presidents having agreed to build a new-type relationship between major countries， we can only hope that Democrats and Republicans， as well as far-sighted Americans from all walks of life， will contribute to this cause and make it reality.

Controlling Discord

Aware of its diminishing clout in the Asia-Pacific as a result of crippling damage during the financial crisis， the U.S. commenced its “rebalancing” policy in the region. In response， Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that the Pacific Ocean is broad enough for both China and the U.S.， meaning that the two powers must learn to co-exist peacefully in the area. The world today is undergoing an irreversible trend of economic globalization， political multipolarization and cultural diversification. Countries that go along with it will survive and thrive； those that attempt to swim against the tide will sink and perish. In the coming years Western countries headed by the U.S. should cease their bickering over political systems and development paths and accept a multi-polarized world. To achieve win-win results they have to learn to respect， live in harmony with， learn from and work with developing peers.

Bearing in mind their different national conditions and political systems， it is only to be expected that China and the U.S. do not see eye to eye on all issues， and that kinks in bilateral ties occur from time to time. What is most important is whether or not the two countries can exert full efforts to resolve their problems and control their discords. In this respect they should give full play to the existing 90 or more bilateral mechanisms whose function is to solve disputes through consultation and dialogue. Cases where settlement cannot be immediately achieved can be held in abeyance for later discussion.

The many divergences between China and the U.S. have never impeded advances in bilateral ties. This attests to the strong inner dynamics of Sino-U.S. relations， largely attributable to interdependence in economic and security issues and shared obligations towards the world as permanent members of the UN Security Council. Their relationship has experienced dramatic ups and downs over the past decades since normalization of full diplomatic ties， but has safely weathered every crisis. This testifies to its great resilience and vigor.

The Chinese Dream splices the dream of the nation with those of individual citizens. The American Dream is more about personal success. But there is common ground between the two. This is another reason why the two peoples can work hand in hand， with mutual respect and readiness to learn from one another.