Vice President Joe Biden
and China President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall
of the People in Beijing:
How much pressure can Biden bring to bear after
a week of tension over
China's newly-asserted Air Defense Identification
Zone - which Tokyo says
encroaches on its territory?
Biden Should 'Show Kindness' Toward China (Global Times, China)
Is China a mild-mannered country peacefully emerging to its
rightful place as a great power - alongside the United States? That seems to be
the message of this mild editorial warning from the state run Global Times to Vice President Joe
Biden, now visiting the country in an effort to 'calm the waters' of the South
China Sea, after tensions rose over China's new Air Defense Identification Zone over islets claimed by both Beijing and Tokyo.
Vice President Joe Biden and outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Beijing, Gary Locke, appear to listen carefully to Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Dec. 4.
U.S.
Vice President Joe Biden left Japan and began his visit to China on Wednesday.
During his stay in Japan, the key talks mostly related to China's Air Defense
Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea. In
China, however, this is only one of a wide variety of issues that will be discussed.
The
new form of great power relations emerging between China and the United States
is based on long-term peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The strategic
significance of Sino-U.S. cooperation will not be overshadowed by a discrepancy
over one particular issue. Current tensions in the East China Sea have been
stirred up by Japan simply to win Tokyo sympathy.
China
has no intention of provoking Japan or the U.S.-Japan military alliance. This
crisis has been deliberately stirred up by Japan to create a sense of alarm and
get Washington involved, hoping America-China ties would devolve into
confrontation. Although the U.S. has been clear in opposing China's
establishment of the ADIZ, we believe the two
countries can overcome the discrepancy.
China,
the U.S., the Asia Pacific, and even the entire world, are asking China and the
United States to become partners. It would be a nightmare if the two openly and
actively confronted one another. Japan-U.S. relations are not a decisive factor
for Sino-U.S. ties. The significance of the U.S. and China to one another will
not be influenced by Japan's meddling.
While
Biden was in Japan, Tokyo's dispute with China would not have taken up very much
time. U.S.-Japan leaders likely also discussed economic and political issues
such as Iran and North Korea. So it is extremely unlikely Biden has shown up in
China to be an opponent. If so, however, China won't hold back.
The
key issue for the two is to communicate better so as to reduce their mutual strategic
suspicion. Washington should also be aware that it is now also important to
show kindness toward Chinese society.
China's
public has been concerned that the United States might seek to contain China by
exploiting its territorial disputes with neighboring countries - and there has
been concern that America's "Asia pivot" is targeted at China.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
China's
foreign policy takes public sentiment into account. If the United States genuinely
has no intention of containing China, it should not initiate the creation of conflict
in areas of concern to China's core interests. Washington always talks about
the balance of power in East Asia and its role as a moderator. However, it is
worth noting that China's rise is a natural process of its development rather
than a strategy to challenge the order of East Asia. The balance of power the U.S.
talks about should tolerate reasonable strategic demands by China, which is why
the U.S. should avoid taking stands on China's territorial disputes with neighboring
countries.
From
Biden's visit, China's people may have sensed America's logic. Discussing
American freedom with Chinese students at the U.S. Embassy is just a
"routine event" involving senior officials whenever they visit China.
Americans will find that Chinese society doesn't ask much of their country, and
should not hold China's so-called nationalism against them. They might in fact
consider adjusting their own behavior, when a country as mild and undemanding
as China begins to cultivate nationalism toward their country.
