Chinese President Xi Jinping's trip to Latin America has been a remarkable success, paving a way for more profound economic cooperation between the two. But some unpleasant voices have emerged within American public opinion, reflecting the true thinking of American society.

Geographically, Latin America is the furthest populated continent from China, but one which has always maintained a friendly attitude toward China. In international politics, neighbors are supposed to form closer relations than remote countries. But the reality is that conflicts and frictions usually take place between neighbors.

For China, its diplomatic plights are almost entirely within its own neighborhood. It is easier to form strategic partnerships with more distant countries.

With the Pacific situated between China and the US, making the two almost neighbors, the two countries have repeatedly found themselves entangled with one another.

Latin America has long been viewed by the US as its backyard, but constant frictions have emerged between the two. At the same time, we cannot simply say China has formed a closer relationship with Latin America than the US.

China is not seeking geopolitical dominance in Latin America but rather enhanced cooperation. Xi spoke over the telephone with US President Barack Obama while Xi was in Brazil, showing his consideration for US sensibilities. Even so, there remains a sense of jealousy in American opinion. It seems that many people believe geopolitics is the fundamental factor in defining relations between countries. It is not easy to move away from such a belief.

Look back at Asia. China has been involved in territorial disputes with some of its neighboring countries. With its pivot to Asia strategy in full swing, the US has strengthened relations with those countries. How should China perceive the US? How can Beijing believe Washington has no intention to contain it?

China's Foreign Ministry has never thought of provoking the US by developing ties with Latin America, because perhaps it is China's stability-oriented diplomacy that will suffer more as a result.

But as time goes by, the stronger China becomes, the more sensitive the US will become toward China developing ties with Latin America.

China does not have to provoke the US intentionally, nor does it need to show special consideration for the US's sensibilities in developing our ties with Latin America. The US will adapt to the geopolitical changes in Latin America. Perhaps it will give a thought if it has gone too far in Asia.

China has showed restraint toward the US's rebalancing to Asia. In Latin America, China has adopted the same approach.

The West persists in viewing China as an aggressive rising power. The fundamental reason is that it uses the wrong standards to judge China, and doesn't show China its due respect.

China has already made great strides in a number of fields, but there is still a long way to go until it sees a commensurate rise in its international status. But China is gathering its strength amid a process of national rejuvenation. It is bound to be prosperous all the same.