The general trend of win-win cooperation between China and the United States is irreversible
——Looking back at the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Shanghai Communiqué
Guan Mingwen
Push open the door of Sino-US relations with wisdom and courage
In February 2022, the world will focus on China and the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Chinese and foreign audiences have received countless praises: this ice, this snow, this wonderful! Inside and outside the arena, the warmth is infinite: with heart, with love, across mountains and seas!
Equally wonderful as a competitive game is the warm glow of love and peace. The friendly interaction between Chinese and American athletes on ice and snow has left a deep impression on the world:
Chinese volunteers said “Welcome to China”, which moved American snowboarder Tessa Maud to tears; American Ashley Caldwell, who ranked fourth in the freestyle skiing aerial skills competition, and the champion Chinese athlete Xu Mengtao, laughing and hugging tightly; Chinese and American curling players exchanged badges after the game…
The sea has confidants in memory, and the ends of the earth are like neighbors.
On the Internet, messages such as “We appreciate competition and friendship more” flooded in. Many people said that we remembered the story of Chinese and American table tennis players 50 years ago that “the small ball drives the big ball”.
About half a century ago, the warm and powerful pictures in the two sports events have been fixed in historical memory and imprinted in people’s hearts, which have and will have a profound impact on the future direction of history.
Looking back at the past 50 years, we can see the historical trajectory that has already been done.
(one)
Fifty years ago, a young American wise man walked in the clouds of history, his name was Henry Kissinger.
People still clearly remember the changes in the world during the Cold War.
A big country that has just entered the weak crown, although its national strength is not strong, it has a straight and strong backbone, stands tall in the east, and is becoming an independent political force on the international stage that cannot be ignored; on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Another big country, although strong and proud of the world, is deeply mired in the Vietnam War and cannot extricate itself from the struggle for hegemony with the Soviet Union.
A new world pattern is brewing, and some insightful people are looking for a way out of the cocoon. Kissinger and the then U.S. President Nixon he served were such thinkers. Their eyes passed through the fog of the Cold War and turned to China on the other side of the ocean.
At this time, China had already gained extraordinary influence in the movement to support the national independence and liberation of Asian, African and Latin American countries, and its return to the United Nations was a foregone conclusion, but the rift between China and the Soviet Union was intensifying. Great statesmen such as Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai are also planning a bigger international arena and more strategic initiatives for China.
It is against this background that the two major powers, China and the United States, approached each other and shook hands.
This process has both the courage to break the ice and the wisdom to break the problem.
The leaders of the two countries seem to have the same heart, and both are subtly releasing strategic signals:
President Nixon seemed to inadvertently use the title of “People’s Republic of China” in public, praising the long history of Chinese culture and the great industriousness of the Chinese people. Leaders of other countries send a message to China to show their goodwill.
At the same time, Chairman Mao Zedong also wisely responded to the US’s temptation. With anti-American sentiment running high in the country and “Down with American imperialism” still a popular slogan, Mao Zedong invited the Snow couple to visit China and climbed the Tiananmen Gate, and promoted the US table tennis team’s visit to China. The foreshadowing of public opinion.
These unobtrusive and unremarkable actions of the two leaders, supplemented by the tentative interaction between the diplomatic envoys of the two countries and the low-key exchanges between the people of the two countries, are historically known as the “minue dance” of Sino-US diplomacy.
Stepping on such a dance, Henry Kissinger, the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, passed through Pakistan on July 9, 1971, and boarded a plane to China in the dark to explore secretly for Nixon’s visit to China.
That summer, people seemed to hear the footsteps of icebreakers.
(two)
Breaking the ice is not only the feat of the brave, but also the bloom of wisdom.
On February 28, 1972, the Sino-US “Shanghai Communiqué” became a major news item in the world‘s major media.
The “Shanghai Communiqué” can be called a classic copy of major-country diplomacy. The full text of the Chinese communique is more than 2,600 words, but it uses more than 1,000 words to express the major differences and major concerns of the two sides. Wait, they are clearly written on the paper, not hidden.
Such a joint communiqué can be described as “unprecedented”. This is first of all thanks to Premier Zhou Enlai’s mind and daring in the negotiation, showing his own opinions and not afraid of differences; also thanks to Kissinger’s understanding and wit – “This kind of comparison can only highlight the importance of reaching an agreement. The conclusions are also more credible.”
Courage and wisdom leverage each other to make this icebreaker communique, which seeks common ground while reserving differences and treats each other as equals, valuable and can stand the test of history and practice.
– about ideology. The communique emphasized that the social systems and foreign policies of China and the United States are fundamentally different. However, the two sides agreed that no matter what social system, all countries should handle their relations according to the principles of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country, non-aggression, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.
– On the international order. The communiqué held that neither side should seek hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region, and each side opposed the efforts of any other country or group of countries to establish such hegemony. Any major country colluding with another major country to oppose other countries, or a major country dividing the scope of interests in the world, is against the interests of the people of all countries in the world.
– On the Taiwan question. The Chinese side reiterates that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government of China, Taiwan is a province of China, and all U.S. armed forces and military installations must be withdrawn from Taiwan. The United States stated that the United States recognizes that all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait believe that there is only one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The U.S. government does not dispute this position.
– On the relationship between the two countries. The communique stated that the normalization of Sino-US relations is in the interests of all countries. In the fields of science, technology, culture, sports and journalism, people-to-people contacts and exchanges will be mutually beneficial. Equal and mutually beneficial economic relations are in the interests of the two peoples. Normalizing relations between the two countries is not only in the interests of the Chinese and American peoples, but also contributes to de-escalating tensions in Asia and the world.
History shows that the basic principles confirmed in the “Shanghai Communiqué” constitute the goals, framework and bottom line for the development of Sino-US relations in the future. These principles were confirmed in the “Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations” and the “August 17” Communiqué.
The three Sino-US joint communiqués constitute the political foundation of Sino-US relations, and the “Shanghai Communiqué” has laid the first cornerstone for long-term Sino-US peace.
“Last night, the riverside was full of water, and the giant ship was light.” It is precisely because of the “Shanghai Communiqué” that the “big ship” of Sino-US relations was able to set sail in the vast Pacific Ocean, despite trials and hardships.
(three)
Wise Kissinger also misjudged sometimes.
Kissinger later recalled that he had not paid much attention to the trade and exchanges in the Shanghai Communiqué: “The largest possible amount of bilateral trade, no matter how hard we try, will at most only account for a very small share of our overall economy.” So he let go of the negotiation of this “marginal field” to others.
In the 50 years since the publication of the Shanghai Communiqué, the most important achievements in Sino-US relations have come from trade and exchanges.
Handshake across the Pacific Ocean, the dividends of cooperation are beyond imagination. Authoritative statistics at your fingertips:
According to the economic and trade accounts, the two-way investment between China and the United States has accumulated from almost zero 50 years ago to the present, and the cumulative stock has exceeded 240 billion US dollars, and more than 70,000 American companies have invested in China; the annual trade volume has exceeded 750 billion US dollars, an increase from the beginning of the establishment of diplomatic relations. More than 308 times, accounting for one fifth of the world.
In terms of employment, US exports to China and two-way investment between China and the US support millions of jobs in the US, of which Chinese investment in the US has created more than 140,000 jobs in the US.
Considering people’s livelihood, bilateral trade has enriched the choices of American consumers, lowered the cost of living, and increased the actual purchasing power of the people, especially the middle- and low-income groups. In 2015, Sino-U.S. trade saved an average of $850 in costs per U.S. household per year, equivalent to 1.5 percent of U.S. household income.
In industrial accounts, Sino-US economic and trade cooperation has provided a large number of business opportunities for American companies. China is the main export market for most U.S. states. In 2016, U.S. companies achieved sales revenue of about $606.8 billion in China. In 2017, the sales of American passenger cars in China reached 3.04 million, accounting for 12.3% of the total sales of passenger cars in China. In 2017, each American farmer exported an average of more than $10,000 of agricultural products to China.
Of course, Sino-US economic and trade cooperation has also allowed China to better integrate into the international system, attracted a large amount of international investment, and opened up more room for development. China has absorbed the advanced experience of the United States and other foreign countries in light of its national conditions, and has blazed a correct path to realize modernization through hard work, daring to try, and continuous struggle. a powerful driving force.
Years go by, the seasons flow, 50 years in the blink of an eye. The 50-year long-term peace between China and the United States has won the vigorous economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
You have me, I have you, mutual achievements, mutual benefit and win-win results. This is the common well-being brought by the “Shanghai Communiqué” to the two peoples.
(Four)
One east, one west, one south and one north. This is the temporal and spatial orientation of China and the United States, and it is also a special orientation in international relations.
From a broader perspective, the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two super-large countries, China and the United States, is not only beneficial to the two countries, but also to the development and prosperity of the world, and has a profound impact on the evolution of the international order and the overall appearance of the world.
To ensure global strategic stability, Sino-US cooperation cannot be avoided. In the tortuous and turbulent process of multi-polarization in the world, China-US relations are the stabilizer of international relations. If China and the United States meet each other halfway, there will be no world peace and development. The improvement of China’s international status and the enhancement of its ability to shape the United States have also become a positive force for maintaining international public order and good rules.
Leading the development of the world economy is inseparable from the engines of China and the United States. As the world‘s largest developing country and the largest developed country, China and the United States have more than one-third of the world‘s economic aggregate and are the most important engines of global economic growth, contributing more than 50% of the world‘s economic growth. The national resource endowment participates in the process of globalization, and builds an international economic cooperation system of unprecedented scale and degree.
Shaping effective global governance depends on the actions of China and the United States. As permanent members of the UN Security Council, the two countries have carried out fruitful exchanges and cooperation in various fields such as regional hotspot issues, international financial security, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, climate change, and international peacekeeping. The two countries have joined hands to fight terrorism, jointly deal with the international financial crisis, jointly stop the Ebola virus, and reach the Paris Agreement. The convergence of interests is constantly expanding.
Fifty years ago, at the communique signing dinner held by the Chinese side, Nixon proudly said in his impromptu speech that the “Shanghai Communiqué” has built a bridge for communication between China and the United States. The week he visited China would also be a week to change the world.
Looking at it now, Nixon was right. The joint efforts of China and the United States have changed the world.
(Fives)
Looking back at the 50 years since the publication of the “Shanghai Communiqué”, the giant ship of Sino-US relations has been traveling in the waves of history.
Fifty years ago, the leaders of China and the United States reviewed the situation and reopened the door of friendly exchanges, opening up a road of mutual benefit and win-win between the two countries.
Today, in the face of the ups and downs of Sino-US relations, we can still draw wisdom and strength from them to look far ahead and meet each other in the same direction, so as to guide the relationship between the two countries to clear the fog and open up a better future.
Brighten the way forward for Sino-US relations with the original intention
More than six years after the publication of the “Shanghai Communiqué”, when China and the United States had just established diplomatic relations, a historical story lingers in the memory of the Chinese and American people to this day.
On the evening of January 29, 1979, the Kennedy Art Center in Washington, the United States welcomed a special guest from the other side of the Pacific Ocean – Deng Xiaoping, the national leader who just painted the blueprint for China’s reform and opening up.
The prestigious Kennedy Center for the Arts hosted a grand welcome party for Deng Xiaoping. After 200 primary school students sang “I Love Beijing Tiananmen” in Chinese, Deng Xiaoping took the stage to condolence to the actor and passionately kissed an American child who came up to hug him. He then repeated this action and kissed 5 children one after another, causing arousal The scene was a sensation.
At this time, although Sino-US relations have broken the ice, the people of the two countries have not completely approached each other from a state of isolation. Deng Xiaoping’s move melted the hearts of the American people present. One witness said, “This scene brought tears to many of the audience present.” From that moment on, the American people realized that they and the Chinese people had no reason to be enemies.
The primary school students who sang “I Love Beijing Tiananmen” in those days grew up with the deepening of China-US friendship, and witnessed the change from strangers to acquaintances between the two peoples. Are these children worried when they see the ups and downs in China-US relations today?
(one)
Deng Xiaoping’s visit to the United States in early 1979 left a lot of good stories, and was hailed as “Deng Xiaoping’s whirlwind” by the media. During his visit to Atlanta, the hometown of the then US President Carter, he said that he wished the ship of friendship and cooperation between our two peoples to sail along a stable and fruitful route.
Deng Xiaoping’s words are meaningful and full of deep expectations that the two peoples will get closer and the relations between the two countries will get better and better.
In fact, since the publication of the “Shanghai Communiqué” 50 years ago, the two peoples have been striving to get closer to each other, and China-US relations have been seeking the right way to get along.
Practice over the past half century has shown that the “Shanghai Communiqué” is the litmus test. If we adhere to the original intention of the Communiqué, Sino-US relations will be on the right track.
Throughout the past 50 years, China-US relations have experienced ups and downs and even major setbacks on the way forward.
——The communique clearly stated that the social systems and foreign policies of China and the United States are fundamentally different. But no matter what the system is, they should not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and should coexist peacefully. But over the years, the US has been deliberately making fuss about ideological issues. Some politicians have thrown out various fallacies one after another, hyped up the “red threat”, advocated the Cold War mentality, and attacked the Chinese Communist Party and China’s political system. Adhering to the party’s leadership and the socialist system with Chinese characteristics is the choice of history and the choice of the people. To play up the ideological confrontation between China and the United States is to make enemies of the Chinese people.
– The communique clearly stated that neither party should seek hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region, and oppose the efforts of any other country or group of countries to establish such hegemony. In recent years, the United States has been addicted to the creation of exclusive and confrontational gangs to contain China, from the Asia-Pacific rebalancing strategy to the Indo-Pacific strategy, from the “quadlateral mechanism” to the trilateral security partnership between the United States, Britain and Australia, and safeguarding the United States by “returning to the Asia-Pacific”. regional hegemony, pressing and besieging China step by step. The bulletin was written in black and white, and seemed to be “forgotten”. As the internet says, “I know you are greedy, but I don’t know how ugly your food looks”.
– The communique clearly stated that the United States recognizes that all Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait believe that there is only one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. In recent years, on the Taiwan issue, which is the most sensitive issue in China-US relations, the US side has repeatedly hit the bottom line and stepped on the red line. The “New Norms” relax restrictions on exchanges between US and Taiwan officials, strengthen arms sales to Taiwan, and step up tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Such a challenge to China’s core interests is a deliberate attempt to close the door on Sino-US relations. No one should underestimate the Chinese people’s strong determination, firm will and strong ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
——The communique clearly stated that the economic relations of equality and mutual benefit are in the interests of the two peoples, and the contacts and exchanges between the two peoples will be mutually beneficial. Over the years, the US has ignored the huge benefits brought by China-US economic and trade cooperation, and has been promoting China’s free-riding and taking advantage of China’s trade frictions. The Trump administration launched a trade war with China and imposed punitive tariffs, while the Biden administration continued to expand and escalate its suppression of Chinese companies, seriously hurting the interests of the people of both countries. Some people in the United States should understand that China’s development and progress do not depend on the gift and charity of anyone, but the result of the hard work of the Chinese people.
When two world powers with intertwined interests and different systems get along, it is difficult to have a smooth time and space, and it is difficult to find a cure once and for all, and some stumblings are inevitable. But deliberately ignoring the spirit of the communique, deliberately creating obstacles, and moving against the trend of history will surely be abandoned by history.
(two)
Einstein once said that there are two things that are infinite, one is the universe, and the other is human stupidity.
In American politics, some people view China and the world in this way: no matter how much China contributes to the world, it only depends on how far China is from the United States; no matter the general trend of world development, it only depends on the status of American influence; regardless of the principle of mutual benefit, I only admit that you lose and I win.
A scholar once described these American politicians as follows: They wake up every morning thinking that China is developing rapidly, and go to bed at night with the nightmare that China has conquered the world.
This vividly shows the fact that some American politicians are unwilling to China’s rise, and they are obsessed with containing China.
That’s the “find the enemy” obsession. The process of the United States becoming a world hegemon is a process of constantly “seeking enemies”. As Bolton, a famous Republican hawk, said: “America is a hammer, the world is a nail, and the United States will strike whenever it needs it.” For many American politicians, without enemies, they lose the meaning of life. From the Soviet Union to the Middle East, to East Asia, They have all been hit by the “hammer” of the United States. Now they are aiming at an increasingly powerful China, thinking about how to beat China.
That’s a “zero-sum game” obsession. Some American politicians have been confused by the so-called “Thucydides Trap” theory, believing that a rising China will definitely share its hegemonic feast, especially after the attempt to transform China according to the American democratic model went bankrupt. Anxiety, insisting on turning back the clock of history, and clinging to the law of the jungle, we must have a life-and-death battle with the “challenger” China.
That is the “win the cold war” obsession. The U.S.-Soviet Cold War ended with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, making the U.S. indulge in the “glory of the end of history” to this day. China’s rapid development has aroused the falsehood of the United States once again “ending history”, hyping up various “China threat theory”, “China-US decoupling theory”, “China-US new Cold War theory”, “Clash of civilizations theory”, etc. Fantasizing about waking up and winning again like winning the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.
That is the obsession of “Western-centrism”. The victories of two hot wars and a cold war in the 20th century have strengthened the illusion of the United States as a “country on top of a mountain”, the self-expectation of “natural mission” has been strongly fermented, and the hegemonic mentality of leading the world has become more and more inflated. The United States engages in street movements and peaceful evolution all over the world, and regards China, which is getting better and better on its own path, as the main target of its “color revolution”.
We have to say that these obsessions built on American values are outdated. It is “the body has entered the 21st century, and the head is still stuck in the past”.
(three)
Excessive obsession is a disease that requires sobriety.
This sober dose is to return to the original intention of the “Shanghai Communiqué”. No matter how far you go, you must not forget the road you came from, you must see the road under your feet clearly, and see the road ahead.
We advise some politicians in the United States that the “Shanghai Communiqué” is like the navigation map on our mobile phones today. Just search it and you will know whether the road under your feet will work. Methods as below:
From the perspective of historical logic, clinging to its own hegemony, viewing China as a strategic threat, and trying to block China’s progress is an old road that does not work.
Who is America’s “enemy”? The 50-year history of the Shanghai Communiqué shows that China is a friend of the United States, not a threat. The hegemonic obsession is the real enemy of the United States. From the Korean War and the Vietnam War to the collapse of Afghanistan today, the United States has lost countless lives, wasted a lot of wealth, and lost valuable political credibility.
Viewed from theoretical logic, based on the country’s historical memory and theoretical heritage, calling itself a “beacon of democracy”, dividing the world with ideology, and shaping an international order dominated by American values is a dead end.
What is true democracy? Whether a country is democratic should be judged by the people of that country; whether a country is democratic in the international community should be judged jointly by the international community. At a time when domestic politics are in decline, financial masters are in power, and the system operates in a way that ignores public opinion, does not help people’s livelihood, and has nothing to do with democracy, the US still defines China-US relations as a struggle between “authoritarian” and “democracy”, and spares no effort to demonize, isolate, and disrupt China. China is destined to be a futile effort that consumes its own credibility without anyone applauding.
From the perspective of practical logic, believe in “starting from the position of strength”, wielding the “big stick” of sanctions at every turn, and fantasizing to obtain the maximum benefit from bullying at the least cost, this is an unworkable evil road.
What is the way to get along with great powers? Not a position of strength. No conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation are the highest realms for great powers to get along with each other. Whether China and the United States are fighting on the battlefield, in economic and trade, or in diplomacy, the Chinese people’s ambition, backbone, and confidence have repeatedly shattered the US’s “invincible” myth, and continued to exert unilateral power, extreme pressure, and provocation against China. Confrontation is doomed to reap its own consequences.
(Four)
The ancient Chinese philosopher Xun Zi said, “The troubles of mortals are hidden in one song and dark in Dali”. It means to remind people that there should be a big picture in the chest, and don’t ignore the big picture because of entangled in side issues.
The conclusion of the “Shanghai Communiqué” is precisely based on accurate insights into world trends, international situations and common interests, and reflects the vision and strategic landscape of the two sides as major powers.
Former US Assistant Secretary of Defense and Nixon’s interpreter in China, Freeman, recalled recently that when the US and China met in 1972, they believed that despite their differences, they could cooperate. So we put our differences aside and focus on the common good. We can still draw inspiration from it today.
“Fifty to know the destiny” is the life wisdom of the Chinese people.
After 50 years of “Shanghai Communiqué”, we should also be able to grasp the “mandate” of Sino-US relations, move forward in the logic of historical progress and develop in the trend of the times, not obsessed with competition between great powers, not obsessed with world hegemony, not obsessed with world hegemony. Resist the trend of multi-polarization, find a way forward, and get out of the plight of reality.
“See what goes out and know what comes in, and look at the past and know what comes.” We must draw wisdom and strength from the ice-breaking of Sino-US relations 50 years ago, and let the original intention of the communique illuminate the way forward, and Sino-US relations will surely walk in the right direction of history side.
Building a better world as a major country
In the late autumn of 2021, a video meeting across the Pacific has firmly attracted the attention of the world.
On November 16, the leaders of China and the United States met on the cloud as scheduled, smiling and talking freely.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that in the past 50 years, one of the most important events in international relations has been the recovery and development of China-US relations, which has benefited both countries and the world. In the next 50 years, the most important thing in international relations is that China and the United States must find the right way to get along.
President Xi Jinping has fully demonstrated the mind and demeanor of a leader of a major country. His words are calm and cordial, not hurried, but every word is very important. “China and the United States must find the right way to get along”, this sentence is full of rational, heavy and profound connotations.
President Biden responded positively. He said that the U.S.-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. I agree with President Xi Jinping’s statement that history is fair, and the U.S.-China relationship can only be done well, not screwed up.
The world expects that this video meeting between the heads of China and the United States will leave an indelible mark in the history of China-US relations.
China-US relations is not a multiple-choice question about whether to do it well, but a must-answer question about how to do it well and whether it can be done well.
Because we believe that the general trend of win-win cooperation between China and the United States is irreversible.
(one)
Fifty years ago, when Chairman Mao Zedong met with President Nixon in Zhongnanhai’s study, he said, “I only talk with you about philosophy.”
The ancient Greek sages believed that philosophy is the crystallization of human wisdom and the highest state of people’s understanding of the world. The wise man observes things and analyzes the general trend, always surveying and grasping them from a philosophical point of view.
Materialist dialectics believes that the development of things in form reflects the characteristics of spiral upward and wave-like progress, and in the process it is reflected in the dialectical unity of progress and tortuousness.
Looking at China-US relations in this way, we will find that the evolution of the relationship between the two countries has never been smooth, but the general trend has never changed.
The Taiwan issue has always been the most sensitive issue in Sino-US relations. Shortly after the establishment of diplomatic relations, Reagan declared that he would restore “official relations” with Taiwan when he ran for president. After taking office, he continued to advocate the full implementation of the “Taiwan Relations Act” and “assume due obligations for Taiwan’s security and prosperity.” The Chinese side fought resolutely against this, forcing the U.S. side to make an emergency brake, and gave birth to the “August 17” Communiqué, which was more advanced than the “Shanghai Communiqué” and the “Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations”.
In the past, the United States repeatedly played the “most-favored-nation treatment card” against China. The Clinton administration seems to be more “skilled” in playing cards, and is often linked to so-called “human rights” and “democracy” issues. China’s unremitting struggle has made the US realize that it is abusing this card to “harm others and not itself”, and therefore pushed for the passage of the permanent normal trade relations legislation with China in the last year of Clinton’s term, creating conditions for China to join the WTO.
The issue of climate change has basically reached a consensus between China and the United States today, but there have been many twists and turns here. As early as the 2009 Copenhagen World Climate Change Conference, as the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, the attitudes of China and the United States played a pivotal role in climate change negotiations. In order to evade responsibility, the U.S. uses China to talk about things, threatens to “resign”, and hype up “China’s arrogance” and “China’s responsibility theory”. To this end, China has waged a justifiable, beneficial and restrained struggle, making the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” put forward by China a consensus. Countries around the world have generally praised the leading role of China and the United States in promoting the Paris Agreement.
There are many cases of China and the United States developing tortuously in bridging differences and advancing in waves in struggle.
From this, we understand why Chairman Mao Zedong “only talked about philosophy” when he met with President Nixon, that is to remind China and the United States to correctly grasp the relationship between the two countries from a strategic and long-term perspective.
Learn from the past. From this, we can also realize that no matter what setbacks and difficulties encountered in the current and future Sino-US relations, we should not lose confidence in the future of Sino-US relations.
The vast Pacific Ocean has enough space to accommodate the two major powers of China and the United States; the earth is large enough to accommodate the separate and common development of China and the United States.
(two)
China and the United States are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, but the distance has never become a psychological barrier between the two peoples.
In February 2012, the then Vice-President Xi Jinping visited the United States. During his busy schedule, he specially arranged time to visit old friends in Iowa, along with Governor Branstad and his wife, Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and his wife, and Maas. Katyn Mayor Randy and his wife, as well as the hosts, the Dwoček and his wife, who had received him when they visited the United States 27 years ago, had a very pleasant conversation.
Several of the people in the audience were the earliest American friends that this distinguished Chinese guest met. They were deeply moved by Xi Jinping’s emphasis on friendship and friendship and never forgetting old friends. For decades, the sincerity, friendliness and friendship of the American people towards Chinese friends have left an unforgettable and beautiful impression on Xi Jinping. This visit has also become a warm and touching chapter in the history of Sino-US relations.
In the spring season of 2019, more than 40 students from the Chinese class of Northern Niles High School in Illinois, USA, wrote a letter to President Xi Jinping in Chinese, expressing their curiosity and greetings to the leader of this great eastern country. President Xi Jinping happily wrote a reply letter to the students, inviting them to have the opportunity to visit China and encouraging them to contribute to the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples. This story also reflects the attention and love of the younger generation in the United States to China.
On the eve of the Spring Festival in 2019, Pan Weilian, a foreign professor of Xiamen University, wrote a letter to President Xi Jinping, expressing his New Year wishes to President Xi Jinping, expressing that he loves China and is optimistic about China, and sent his new book “I Can’t See You – Lao Pan” with the letter. Letter from China”. President Xi Jinping quickly wrote a reply letter to Professor Pan Weilian, praising and encouraging him beyond words, and cleverly blessed him with the place name of Fujian: “Fu’an” for the whole family and “Changle” for life. Professor Pan Weilian is an American who has worked and lived in Xiamen for more than 30 years. He has never denied his deep love for China on various occasions. He has also become an Internet celebrity professor who is deeply loved by netizens.
If the “Shanghai Communiqué” is taken as a starting point, the people have always been the protagonists of Sino-US relations in the past 50 years. Before the epidemic, more than 5 million people traveled between the two countries every year, more than 280 pairs of sister provinces, states and cities, and hundreds of thousands of international students studying in the two countries jointly forged an inseparable bond between the two countries.
From the “ping-pong diplomacy” more than 50 years ago to the ice and snow love at the Beijing Winter Olympics today, the people of the two countries have good expectations for China and the United States.
(three)
When the leaders of the older generation embarked on the ice-breaking journey between China and the United States, they shared a strong desire to build a new and better world.
When China-US relations pass through the fog and meet each other, the world also has a common and strong feeling that China-US cooperation brings beauty to the world.
Today, China-US relations are facing setbacks and difficulties, and the world is also deeply anxious. On many international occasions, leaders of various countries and people of insight from all walks of life have expressed their expectations and appeals for the improvement of Sino-US relations.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said countries must acknowledge that China will continue to grow and it is neither wise nor possible to stop it. The Sino-US conflict is a disaster for the world, and developing a constructive relationship is crucial. We cannot afford to take sides between China and the United States.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world would risk “dividing in two” if the two largest economies exert their influence in many areas and play a zero-sum game. Rebuilding U.S.-China relations can help address vaccination, climate change, and other global challenges.
Former Irish President Mary Robinson said that global dialogue and cooperation have never been more important, and the good relationship between China and the United States is the most important. The world needs China and the United States to work together to build a strong framework for the world‘s sustainable development and prosperity.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama believes that it does not matter if there is competition between the United States and China, but democracy should not be used as a diplomatic tool. The establishment of an exclusive encirclement by the United States, Japan, India and Australia will intensify the contradiction between China and the United States and damage the stability and prosperity of the world. The United States should stick to the “One China” policy with actions and establish a way of coexistence with China that transcends differences in values.
Stephen Roach, a senior researcher at Yale University in the United States and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, said that both China and the United States need a new engine of stable and safe economic growth to solve the current Sino-US conflict. There is no shortcut, but we can start small and show The determination to resolve rather than escalate conflicts has brought the atmosphere of Sino-US relations from doubt to mutual trust.
In the field of international public opinion, these objective and rational voices are outspoken and sobering.
This shows that, in the eyes of the world, the development of China and the United States is not an either-or relationship, and can fully leverage and achieve mutual success; the world looks forward to a Sino-US relationship featuring healthy competition and friendly cooperation.
We are reminded of another historical story: in 1973, when Chairman Mao Zedong met with Henry Kissinger, who has served as Secretary of State, there was a wonderful dialogue. Kissinger said to Chairman Mao, I heard that Chairman Mao invented an English word? Chairman Mao readily admitted, yes, I invented an English term “paper tiger”, and all reactionaries are paper tigers. The astute Kissinger immediately said, “Paper tigers, yes, that’s us.” The two looked at each other and laughed.
What kind of entanglement does the two world powers have that cannot be resolved by looking at each other and smiling?
As two major powers in the world, whether China and the United States can handle each other’s relations well has a bearing on the future and destiny of the world. It is a question of the century that must be answered by the two countries. It is the blessing of the two peoples and the people of the world that China and the United States move forward hand in hand.
We have a thousand reasons to improve Sino-US relations, and the expectations of the people of the world are an important reason.
(Four)
Fifty years ago, in the light and graceful “Minuet”, the long-closed door of China-US relations suddenly opened. Extraordinary political wisdom and great political courage are the golden keys to open this door.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has carefully drawn up a grand blueprint for building a community with a shared future for mankind, and has closely interacted with other countries in the world, planned cooperation, and jointly promoted development, leading China to shine unprecedentedly on the world stage. light.
Facing the interweaving and superposition of the great changes in the century and the pandemic of the century, President Xi Jinping has the overall situation and command, and guides the healthy development of China-US relations. new paradigm.
In the video meeting between the heads of China and the United States not long ago, President Xi Jinping emphasized that China and the United States are two giant ships sailing in the sea. Stall, let alone collide.
President Xi Jinping’s political wisdom, strategic determination, world-mindedness, and mission commitment have been widely praised by the international community.
President Biden said that the United States and China, as two world powers, have responsibilities to both countries and the people of the world. Biden clearly reiterated that the United States does not seek a “new Cold War”, does not seek to change China’s system, does not seek to oppose China by strengthening alliances, does not support “Taiwan independence”, and has no intention of confrontation with China.
It sounds eloquent, and I hope the US can draw wisdom, courage and strength from the ice-breaking journey and put it into real action.
There is no doubt that cooperation is the only correct choice for China and the United States, and a win-win situation can lead to a better future.
We believe that as long as China and the U.S. adhere to mutual respect, seek common ground and resolve differences, maintain strategic patience, not be confused by one thing, not disturbed by one word, and do not let small calculations dictate big politics, China-U.S. relations will surely be able to move forward in a healthy and stable state. on the road of development.
We expect that the giant ship of China-US relations will continue to follow the correct channel opened by the leaders of the older generation to break the ice and move forward together to the future.
“Guangming Daily” (March 01, 2022 01 edition)
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责编：孙宗鹤 ]