Wu Guangqiang

    jw368@163.com

    “CHINA’S Rise Isn’t Our Demise” is the title of an article that was published in the New York Times on Sept. 7, 2011, and the author was Joe Biden, vice president of the United States

    In the article, Biden marveled at the dramatic changes that took place between his first visit to China in 1979 and his visit in 2011. He pointed out that there were concerns back in 1979 as there are today about what a growing China meant for America and the world. “Some here [in Washington] and in the region see China’s growth as a threat, entertaining visions of a cold-war-style rivalry or great power confrontation,” and, “Some Chinese worry that our aim in the Asia-Pacific is to contain China’s rise,” he wrote.

    Biden’s view was clear-cut: “I reject these views.” He was convinced that a successful China could make his country more prosperous, not less. He went to great length to demonstrate his view that a constructive U.S.-China relationship meant opportunities for both countries.

    Like most of their predecessors in the White House, President Obama and Vice President Biden have taken a pragmatic and somewhat constructive approach in dealing with China. That’s why the Sino-U.S. relationship, the most important bilateral relation of the 21st century, has been moving forward despite numerous setbacks and disturbances.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping and Obama’s consensus on constructing a new pattern of relationships between great powers has injected new impetus into the bilateral relationship.

    Yet to many Chinese people, what Washington has often done seems to be conflicting with what it has said. The real Sino-U.S. relationship has been accompanied by disharmonious factors. The Chinese people are under the impression that the U.S. is sparing no efforts to contain China while China is doing its utmost to promote the bilateral friendship. It is China’s forbearance, compromise and magnanimity that keeps pushing the bilateral relations forward.

    This impression has been reinforced by a litany of past events, and politicians in Washington are giving the impression of fresh ammunition with their unfriendly and even provocative remarks, coupled with America’s new military deployment around Asia.

    The latest of such remarks came from Obama, who expressed his concerns about “China using ‘sheer size and muscle’ to intimidate smaller nations in the row over the South China Sea.”

    His statement has been greeted by a barrage of taunt and mockery across the world — the biggest bully on earth should be the last to talk about “sheer size and muscle” while its 10 formidable aircraft carrier fleets are cruising around the world and it is carrying out endless military exercises, intimidating China and its other potential enemies.

    Many Chinese people find it particularly objectionable that America is claiming not to take sides in Asia’s territorial disputes but is actually taking sides with all of China’s disputers and backing their confrontation with China. U.S. arms sales to Taiwan keep hurting China’s core interests and the feelings of the Chinese people.

    The U.S. is attempting to contain China’s rise in the fear that its world dominance will be replaced by China. On the surface, though, the U.S. has taken a pragmatic approach for two major reasons: one, the U.S. has been the biggest beneficiary of China’s rapid development, and two, the mainstream opinion that China’s rise is inevitable is so far influencing the White House.

    As a small portion of China’s 1.3-billion people enters the middle class, China’s economic size will surpass that of the U.S., probably by a large margin.

    Yet China will never attempt to be a world leader like the U.S. Any attempt to contain China will prove futile and detrimental to the world. America’s failed attempt to hinder the construction of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has taught it a hard lesson.

    It is necessary for the U.S. to match its words and deeds, demonstrating its genuine attitude of welcoming China’s rise.

    Sincere and constructive action, not gimmicky talks or slick diplomatic tricks, will bring the U.S. more benefits than losses.

    (The author is an English tutor and freelance writer.)