 |
Peace Benefits, and Undermining Peace Hurts, Both Sides
At present, the Sino-US relationship is at a sensitive and complicated moment. In the more than four months since the new US government assumed office, its words and deeds on questions such as the plane collision incident, and the Taiwan and the Tibetan issues have caused serious harms to Sino-US relations. What is the United States up to? Where does it want to lead Sino-US relations to? This has not only aroused the serious concern of the 1.3 billion Chinese people, but also has incurred the high attention of international opinion.
Philosophical Warning: Don't Do to Others What You Don't Want Others to Do to You
Recently, some US government officials have successively published their views about the Sino-US relations, in which what was most stressed was that Sino-US relations should be "based first and foremost on the national interest of the United States".
It should be said that this remark was quite frankly made. In today's world, a nation or State remains the mainstay in international relationship. Indeed, national interest should be the priority consideration of each country. The point is that how to understand "national interest"; furthermore, safeguarding national interest and protecting national security is not the matter of a country, it requires that different countries respect each other' s sovereignty and territorial integrity, abide by the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and solve international disputes through consultation. However, the United States seems to have not properly positioned its own "national interest", but have expanded it willfully, and extended it to all corners of the world, and have given it the explanations of a "what I take and seek" type. It is based on this idea that the United States explained its spy flight over China's surrounding areas as an action conforming to US "national interest", and explained the plane collision incident over the South China Sea as China's provocation against US security interest and as China's "disregarding US interest". Again it was based on this idea that the United States has intensified its implementation of its plan for the missile defense system under the pretext that the missiles of so-called "rogue countries" constitute a threat to US interest, and disregarded what consequences it would possibly bring to world security. People cannot but ask: When the United States talks about its own national interest, should it also consider and respect the interests of other countries, and should not pursue its own absolute security at the expense the interests of other countries?
So-called US "national interest" is also directly reflected in its approach toward the question of China's Taiwan. In his recently published speech "the National Interests of China and the United States", one US senator said that the Taiwan issue was also a unique question linked together with the various core interests of the United States-spreading the US concept of value abroad, promoting free trade and market opening and protecting the US national security. Obviously, the decision of the US government to sell large amounts of advanced weapons to Taiwan and its declaration that it would use all necessary forces to help Taiwan in its self-defense again is the idea of priority given to US "national interest". The erroneous words and deeds of the US side violate the principles of the three Sino-US joint communiques, go back on its promises, endanger peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, constituting a provocation to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and causing further harm to China-US relationship. Even domestic public opinion of the United States pointed out that such a speech even went beyond the content of the "Taiwan Relations Act", obviously this is changing the decades-long US policy toward China. In his article "Facing China Directly" published in the April 6 issue of News Weekly, Henry Kissinger pointed out that the US domestic "faction of containment" try hard to regard Taiwan as an "independent country", a military forward position, this is, in fact, an attempt to abrogate the one-China policy governing Sino-US relationship adopted since the 1970s. Candidate Buchanan for US 2000 presidential election said more vividly that If Taiwan was part of China, then US intervention by obstructing the realization of China's reunification was apparently very much like Queen Victoria threatening with war that President Abraham Lincoln should not recover South Carolina with force.
The US federal government then led by President Lincoln once waged resolute political, military and diplomatic struggle against the plot to create "two Americas".
In his struggle he left behind such a famous remark: This stretch of land occupied by the American people in the globe where they are living in can only be regarded as the garden of a big national family, and cannot be regarded as the garden of two or more big national families. Today, certain Americans should draw enlightenment from this phase of history: Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you. Currently, certain people thought obstructing China's reunification was a clever move, while in fact it was a stupid move unacceptable even to their ancestor. Taiwan is part of China, not a "protectorate" of any foreign country, the determination of the Chinese government and people in defense of their national sovereignty and territorial integrity is firm and unshakable, and no one can resist the progress of the Chinese people in realizing the reunification of their motherland. No one should make miscalculation of this.
Some personages in the US government often use the "Falun Gong" issue and the Tibet issue to attack China with the so-called human rights issue. "Falun Gong" is an anti-scientific, anti-humanity and anti-society heresy, this has been borne out by huge amounts of irrefutable facts. However, certain people in the US government lumped the heretic "Falun Gong" cult that leads people to become infatuated and ruins people's lives together with religion, human rights and other questions and regarded the handling of this issue according to law and patient persuasion, conversion and education work as "infringement on human rights". People remember that the United States solved their own question of heresy with armored cars, cannons and other types of weapons,
How this should be explained? They also declared that they would work hard to protect Tibetans' unique culture, religion and language legacies. Tibet is China's Tibet, not the United States' Tibet. For many years, the Chinese government has made strenuous efforts for Tibet's economic and cultural development and has thus enjoyed the wholehearted support of the Tibetan people. What right does the United States have to talk glibly about "protecting Tibet"? One well-known fact is that the US Indian aboriginal culture has been ruined to such an extent that almost nothing is left. Incidents of discrimination against colored people and infringing upon their human rights still occur frequently in the United States today. The United States is not qualified to use human rights as a stick to beat people, instead, it should be earnestly concerned with and improve its own human right situation.
It is not difficult to see that what the United States calls the defense of "national interest" is, in essence, wanting other countries to submissively obey the private gain of a handful of Americans practicing hegemonism.
The Call of Reality: Abandoning Confrontation, Seeking Cooperation
China is the largest developing country, while the United States is the biggest developed country, in the world, how Sino-US relationship is like has major influence on world peace and development. How to properly handle Sino-US relations and make a wise choice is a common topic confronting the two great nations of China and the United States.
After the conclusion of the Cold War, tremendous change has taken place in the international situation, but on some global issues, the common interests of China and the United States have not decreased, but have increased; the area of cooperation between the two countries has not shrunk, but has expanded; The responsibilities of the two sides to safeguard world peace and promote human development has not lightened, but has become heavier. In February this year when answering questions put to him by Hong Kong current event critics, US noted politician Zhlgnieh Brzezinski said that for the United States to establish friendly, cooperative ties with China has everything to gain and nothing to lose, because China plays a role in stabilizing the political situation in the Far East, and has common strategic interests with the United States.
Mutual economic complementarity is an important component of Sino-US relationship. The differences existing between the two countries in the structure of resources and industries and in the consumption level determine that economic and trade competition between the two countries is small, but their mutual complementarity is great. Cheap and good Chinese products have a strong appeal to US consumers, many American products are also widely welcomed for their high-tech contents and their suitability to the need of China's construction. The vast market and rich labor power of China have caused many American companies to regard China as a first-choice place for expanding their business., numerous US firms, with their advanced science and technology, abundant financial strength and effective management expertise, have become the ideal cooperative partners of Chinese companies. The fast developing Sino-US economic and trade relations have become the main stabilizing factor and driving force of bilateral ties. Just as Deng Xiaoping said: "There is a sound foundation for Sino-US relationship, that is, the two countries have a mutual-aid role in developing the economy and safeguarding economic benefits."
China and the United States have reached a bilateral agreement on the question regarding China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), this has injected fresh vigor into the improvement and development of Sino-US relations. Negotiation on China's WTO accession has been going on for 15 years. China's stance on this issue has been consistent. After China joining the WTO, it will systematically open the fields of commodities and service trade wider to the outside world, create open, unified and equal competition conditions for domestic and foreign enterprises, establish and perfect a foreign economic and trade system conforming with the common rules of international economy and with China's national conditions, and it will provide more and more stable market access opportunities for foreign enterprises to come to China for economic and trade cooperation. China's WTO entry will infuse fresh vigor into the economic development of China and Asia as well as the whole world, as the Chinese people will benefit therefrom, so will the American people, the Asian people and people all over the world.
In their development in the 21st century, China and the United States can find the confluence of common interest, this represents another objective foundation for Sino-US friendly cooperation. The US fundamental strategic interest in the 21st century is to maintain its position as the No.1 economic power in the world, and this will be determined by whether or not it can constantly enhance its own economic strength. China's fundamental strategic benefit in the 21st century is to concentrate on economic construction, realize modernization and build a prosperous, democratic and culturally advanced, modern socialist country, this will be determined by whether or not it can win an international environment featuring peace and friendly cooperation. The United States possesses abundant funds and advanced science and technology, if this strong point can be integrated with a vast market which is in urgent demand and undergoing vigorous development, it will help the United States to maintain its position as the No.1 economic power. In today's world, where is the vast market which needs funds and technology and is developing vigorously? Undoubtedly, it is China with a population of 1.3 billion, which has witnessed sustained and rapid economic growth over the past 20 years and more, with the rate of growth placed in the front rank of the world. It is in this aspect that China and the United States have a connecting point for friendly cooperation in the 21st century.
Because China and the United States are different in social systems, ideologies and concepts of value, and because of the obstruction by the US domestic right-wing, pro-Taiwan forces, contradictions and conflicts between the two sides over such questions as human rights, democracy, nationality and religion have often occurred. At the same time, the US strategy of pursuing a single-polar "leadership of the world" is bound to collide with the objective trend of the world's multi-polarization. Based on this situation, we advise certain people to listen to the appeal of George Kennan: It can be said without hesitation that this planet will absolutely not be ruled by one single political center, no matter how large its military strength is.
The development of world multi-polarization and economic globalization trend has deepened the interdependence among various countries. Peace benefits, undermining peace hurts, the two sides. In his article mentioned above, Henry Kissinger pointed out: Pursuing a Cold War policy of containment against China will possibly lead the United States to isolation in Asia and even the whole world. Chinese leaders have also repeatedly advocated that the two sides of China and the United States should stand high and look afar, seek common grounds while reserving differences, enhance understanding and reduce troubles, refrain from confrontation and develop cooperation. and make joint efforts to build constructive, friendly and cooperative relations.
Historical Revelation: Hegemony-Short-lived; Justice-Evergreen
Because of its relative economic, military and scientific and technological advantages, the United States has further grown a mindset of hegemonism after the radical change in Eastern Europe and the break-up of the Soviet Union. In its external ties, it often exhibits a unique arrogant and overbearing manner, clings obstinately to its own course and attempts to lord it over various countries and even the international organization. Regarding any rule, treaty and agreement, the United States wants that it alone has the final say. One American journal pointed out bluntly: Washington maintains that international law applies only to weak countries which have to do things they are required to do, while the United States does things it wishes to. This merits deep and careful thought to be given by US politicians.
It is noteworthy that certain special interest groups of the United States can obtain certain special benefits from power politics, they are in dire need to artificially create tension, conflicts, split and unrest in the world, so as to sell munitions, this can both line their own pockets and suppress and get rid of aliens, thereby helping them to achieve their objective of "controlling the globe". If the US authorities fail to restrain those groups and their hegemonic policy while handling problems regarding international relations, to control the unwise, and unhelpful self-importance impulse and to overcome its crude interference in other countries and nations, they will incur odium and complaint from the whole world, and will run into impasses in their external ties, thus undermining world peace, stability and prosperity.
Hegemonism has encountered boycott and opposition from more and more countries. According to an article published in US Los Angeles Times on May 8, trouble has appeared in the relations between the United States and many countries, in some important struggles, the Americans often find themselves in a passive and besieged position and even suffer final defeat. Recently, the United States failed in the election in the UN Human Right Commission and the UN International Narcotics Control Board, is this still not enough to set Americans thinking?
Hegemony declines from its zenith, this is dialectics of historical development. The wheel of history has sped through the ruins of the empire overbearing for a time. History has proved and will continue to prove one truth: hegemony-short-lived; justice-evergreen.
This commentary on Current Chinese-US relationship is written by Gu Ping and published on Page 3 of People's Daily on May 31.
In This Section
|