Commentary: Tillerson's Beijing visit was a home run for China-U.S. relations

On March 18, U.S. Department of State Secretary Rex Tillerson arrived in Beijing for his first face-to-face talks with Chinese leaders and to lay the groundwork for a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump. After his arrival, the State Department sent out a message on social media, informing the world that the U.S. looks to build a constructive, result-oriented relationship with China.

In his remarks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Secretary Tillerson spoke on the past and future trajectory of the China-U.S. relationship:

Since the historic opening of relations between our two countries more than 40 years ago, the U.S.-China relationship has been guided by an understanding of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation. It is important that the leaders of our two countries engage in further dialogue to develop a common understanding that will guide our relationship for the next half-century.

As Tillerson stated, the China-U.S. relationship has been guided by an understanding of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation for more than four decades. Over the years, the China-U.S. relationship has grown beyond all expectations, having stood the test of time. The bilateral relationship has had its share of ups and downs, but the two sides have persisted in expanding cooperation and enhancing mutual trust. As a result, the bilateral relationship has been able to grow steadily and bring benefits to both peoples. The goal now is to advance this win-win cooperative relationship for the years to come.

In China, Tillerson signaled America’s readiness to develop China-U.S. relations on a common understanding for the next half-century. The language Tillerson used to describe the bilateral relationship sent a signal that the Trump administration wants a win-win relationship with China. After Tillerson’s fruitful meetings with Chinese leaders, Mark Toner, acting spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, explained the meaning of Tillerson’s language to journalists who questioned whether or not Tillerson went too far. Toner said it was the intention of Tillerson to send a message that the U.S. is ready to develop a cooperative, productive, and forward-looking relationship with China.

By adopting China’s language, Tillerson has endorsed the new model of major-country relations, which was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. President Xi and his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, agreed to build a new type of major-country relationship following their historical meeting at Sunnylands, a 200-acre Annenberg Estate in Rancho Mirage, California, in June 2013. The deliberate use of China’s language is a positive signal that the Trump administration wants to avoid the traditional path of tragedy between major countries. The new model abandons the outdated grand strategy of maximizing or maintaining one’s share of power and influence, and ensures that all major countries are seen as equals on the world stage.

Some Western media outlets reported that Tillerson's Beijing visit was a home run for China. On the contrary, it was victory for the development of the bilateral relationship. Efforts to contain China might sound appealing to those who want to prevent China’s peaceful rise in order for the U.S. to regain its global superpower status, but such efforts will only make cooperation less likely and would be fruitless in the end. Fully embracing the new model is the only correct choice for both countries. For lasting peace and prosperity, Tillerson should continue to make an all-out-effort to develop China-U.S. relations on equal footing.

Though Tillerson has set a positive tone for the development of the bilateral relationship, some have expressed disapproval. In an article by The Washington Post, Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia and the director of the China Power Project at CSIS, criticized Tillerson’s choice of words, especially his use of mutual respect, because it, in effect, says that the U.S. accepts China’s core interests at the expense of America’s core interests. This conclusion is based on the assumption that China has no intention to live up to its end of the bargain, and that the U.S. is and should remain the world’s authority. Mutual respect is a two-way street, and it is in the long-term interests of both sides to develop relations on the basis of respecting each other’s core interests. Solid steps toward building a more democratic international order is not a win for China and a loss for America, but a win for both countries.

In their 30-minute meeting, Chinese President Xi and U.S. Secretary Tillerson discussed the progress in China-U.S. relations, and Tillerson conveyed that U.S. President Trump is anticipating the two will soon be able to meet face-to-face for discussions, at which time both sides can jointly chart bilateral ties for the next half-century and plan all-round cooperation.

In his China debut, Tillerson has received criticism for embracing the new model, but it is a win-win for both countries, as well as for the global community, if what many experts describe as the world’s most important bilateral relationship is guided by a common understanding and continues to develop in a direction featuring no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation for many years to come.