Wu Guangqiang

    AMERICA’S return to the Asia-Pacific region has been making headlines around the world. Many Chinese are perplexed by the United States’ action.

    Actually, the United States has never left the region, so its higher-pitched “come-back” announcement sounds more like a bluff than an earnest commitment to its equal engagement with the region’s economic growth. Though suffering from a feeble economy at home, it is still trying to remind others of its position in the world.

    On Nov. 16, Barack Obama, before leaving for Bali, Indonesia, to attend the East Asian summit, announced that the United States is to station thousands of Marines at a base in Darwin, Australia.

    In her recent visit to the Philippines, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton surprisingly used the term “West Philippine Sea” to refer to the South China Sea, which was first named by Portuguese sailors and later used by the International Hydrographic Organization and the international community.

    The United States had signaled it would raise the so-called “West Philippine Sea issue” at the Bali summit but the meeting ended without the topic being discussed. On her visit to the Philippines, Clinton said the United States would “always be behind the Philippines and will stand and fight with it.”

    There also has been much buzz about American intentions of isolating China by dominating Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).

    An outsider in the South China Sea dispute, the United States, with no legitimate reason to meddle with the bilateral conflict between the concerned parties, has tried to step in by playing on a pseudo-proposition: to support freedom of navigation rights in the South China Sea.

    It is a matter of opinion whether the United States has resolved to contain China’s growth, or worse, to start a new Cold War. But the picture is seen by many as one of acrimony instead of amenity, let alone of equal cooperation.

    The most shocking remarks came from Obama when he said the United States wanted China’s full engagement in all the big issues of the Asia-Pacific century as long as “China is willing to play by the rules.” It sounded as if China were a guest in the region while the United States were the host.

    The bottom line is: there will be no winner if there is an attempt to make the South China Sea or the Asia-Pacific region a hot spot of confrontation.

    While China has always pursued a policy of peaceful co-existence with other nations, it needs to convince other nations, neighboring ones in particular, of its intentions. It also has to address U.S. concerns for its interests in the region. China’s rapid rise is making the United States nervous and China’s neighboring countries uncertain about the future, so it is understandable that they hope to see a stable situation based on balanced powers. In addition, some countries in this area want to play the United States and China off against each other. However, with no intention of challenging the United States as the world leader, China will never let the rivalry become a conflict. But it does not mean China will back down on any issue related to its own national interest. A miscalculation could have serious consequences.

    Given the following factors, no player will expect a head-on collision between the world’s two largest economies.

    Like it or not, it is China’s powerful economic growth with its massive market, not American aircraft-carriers, that will keep all boats afloat in the region, bringing benefits to every country. In 2010, the trade volume between China and ASEAN hit US$292.77 billion, a 38 percent increase year on year, with China seeing a deficit of US$16.3 billion. At the current rate, the trade volume will soon double.

    It is not in America’s interest to confront China. Its crippled economy and swelling debts leave it no choice but to take a strategic contraction position. Only by working with China, can it expect a recovery.

    It is in the best interest of China to have a strong and prosperous America. The United States has repeatedly made a similar pledge. Time will tell whether both sides are sincere.

    (The author is an English tutor and a freelance writer. He can be reached at jw368@163.com.)