America's Cold
Warriors Must Reconsider Outdated Ideology
Are there
policy makers in the United States so married to a 'zero-sum Cold War mentality,'
that they are damaging relations with China? Or is China a genuine threat that
manipulates its currency and shamelessly steals American intellectual property?
According to this editorial from the state-run China Daily, those who see China as an adversary are shooting
themselves - and the world - in the foot.
As expected, the Wednesday meeting
in Washington between President Hu Jintao and his U.S. counterpart, Barack
Obama, has drawn widespread attention from both countries and the rest of the
world.
To usher in a brighter future
for the world's most important bilateral relationship, the two leaders should
seize the chance to set the tone that ties will take in the coming years. They
must bear in mind that China-U.S. relations now go beyond bilateral bounds and
have assumed global dimensions. They should send the rest of the world a positive
signal that they'll work more closely, and together, contribute to world peace
and development.
The sincerity with which
Beijing is cultivating a sound relationship with Washington is clear from the interview
Hu gave to U.S. newspapers before he embarked on his trip. He said, "We
both stand to gain from a sound China-U.S. relationship, and lose from
confrontation."
The centerpiece of Hu's
message was that as the world embraces peace and development in this new era,
both countries should abandon the zero-sum Cold War mentality. Only by freeing
themselves from the shackles of the Cold War mindset can the two giants
cooperate successfully on a wide range of issues.
This meeting is an attempt to
move beyond this way of thinking, which up to now has defined the interactions
between China and the United States and has resulted in the up-and-down dynamic
of bilateral ties.
With the comprehensive
national strength of China growing, some in Washington see China as a potential
threat, rather than a growing opportunity for expanded bilateral ties.
Under the influence of the outdated
Cold War mindset, disputes and suspicions have arisen from time to time that overshadow
or offset more positive developments in relations, despite the fact that both
peoples have demonstrated a strong political will to cultivate a stable and
healthy environment for cooperation.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
As we draw up a blueprint for
Sino-U.S. cooperation for the coming decade, Washington and Beijing must build a
consensus for burying the remnants of this outdated Cold War mentality once and
for all. This is the only way to achieve whole-hearted, rather than
half-hearted cooperation, and will be instrumental in building greater
strategic trust.
President Hu Jintao is greeted by Defense Secretary Gates, Secretary
of State Clinton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, Vice
President Biden, with President Obama and first lady Michelle stand
behind, on the south lawn of the WHite House, January 19.
Obviously, disagreements and
friction between China and the U.S. are unavoidable on some issues. The key is
to view and cope with them properly. Moreover, the two nations should deal with
differences through fair dialogue and negotiations, and intensify the control
of risk. Our common interests are far larger than any points of divergence, and
cooperation is always the lifeblood of bilateral relations.
One meeting will not solve every
problem that afflicts such a complex relationship. But it's realistic to expect
that when the leaders of both countries sit together, they will show the
political wisdom to better manage relations. In this way, both countries, as
well as the rest of the world, will soon benefit from their thriving
cooperation.
