China's President Xi Jinping and his wife Liyuan are
on the ground in
California: With China's
leader holding a summit with President Obama,
should people around the
world be expecting the dawn of a new
era?
China's government media
certainly suggests they should.
Presidents Xi and Obama to Plot 'Irreversible Stability' (Global Times,
People's Republic of China)
How significant is today's California summit between China's new president, Xi Jinping, and President Barack Obama? Reading China's government
controlled media, including this editorial from the state-run Global Times, one gets the impression that
we are about to witness one of the most significant political events in years,
as China once and for all asserts its place as a global power alongside a diminishing
America.
First lady Michelle Obama: As the first lady of China is also to be in attendence, Michelle Obama's decision not to come to the California summit between her husband and Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to be interpreted as a snub by the face-concious Chinese.
Chinese
President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart
Barack Obama are scheduled to meet this afternoon. The meeting has already
drawn unprecedented global attention and represents not only a conversation for
the exchange of ideas on vital global issues, but offers a glimpse of what
China's future might look like when it catches up to the United States.
In
terms of national strength, China is approaching that of the U.S. This will be
among the most significant factors affecting global politics in the future. The
question of whether the two countries can think out of the box and create a new
era of peaceful competition rather than tragic confrontation is now a major
test for both countries and the rest of the world.
First,
public opinion in America and even around the globe is getting accustomed to
China's rise in power. In addition, this inevitable trend, which has been
foreseen by people everywhere, has also begun to be seen by many in
the West as less than "dreadful."
Second,
most Western countries, while unhappy that China is catching up to the United
States, don't want to go along with America's concept of containing China at all costs. Peace is what most people are looking for, so taking
the risk of confronting China goes against their wishes.
Third,
China's people look forward to their nation's peaceful rise. Challenging the United States
or staging a Cold War against is not what they envision. What they expect to
see is a long-term Sino-American relationship in which peaceful competition and
cooperation coexist.
The
next few years are critical to this process, which will hopefully lead to an irreversible
stability.
Both
Chinese and American leaders have the power to direct the future of political
civilization. They carry the hopes of turning over a new leaf in international
politics, ending the zero-sum games often played by major powers.
But
problems still exist, some of which could reverse current positive trends if
not handled well. There are great uncertainties in Sino-American relations, and
certain saboteurs are willing to pursue their own interests at the expense of
healthy ties.
China
and the United States should do their utmost to expand mutual trust on
strategic issues and establish mechanisms to reduce suspicions in the event
that frictions heighten at some point in the future. Establishing mutual trust will
be a challenge, but the two sides are certainly capable of doing so. This will
also help create a positive dynamic in which negotiations and cooperation can prevail.
At
the moment, there are many ways to interpret the "nature" of Sino-U.S.
relations, many of which make rational sense. But it is a relationship that is
far from stable. The personal influence of both nations' leaders will play an
important role in molding these ties.
The
summit between Barak Obama and Xi Jinping will have a
packed agenda. The final takeaway from this meeting, however,
will be what influence it ultimately has on Sino-American relations. One hopes
it will stand out as a milestone in a new kind of relations between the two
countries.
