This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. The two heads of state exchanged congratulatory letters on the first day of the new year, and both mentioned the great significance of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States in their congratulatory messages.
Over the past 45 years, China-US relations have gone through ups and downs, witnessed countless major historical moments, and developed to this day, China-US relations have become the most important bilateral relationship in the world. The more important it is, the more cautious it is to be cautious: whether to fall into the "Thucydides trap" and not extricate yourself, or whether to unite and cooperate and prosper together, is the key choice of where to go from here.
As far as the world is concerned, whether or not Sino-US relations can be done well has a bearing on the stability and prosperity of the world, and the vast majority of third countries do not want to choose sidesAs far as China and the United States are concerned, whether or not the relations between the two countries can be improved will determine the direction of many policies in the future. Once China and the United States set competition as a key word, then competition will become an indiscriminate source of conflict and confrontationOnly by making cooperation the main theme can the two sides truly manage their differences, gradually warm up the hearts of the people on both sides at the social level, and achieve overall stability and friendship in the fundamentals of China-US relations. Therefore, if we want the world to be good and China to be beautiful, we must do a good job in Sino-US relations.
There are a thousand ways to undermine Sino-US relations. There is only one way to do a good job in Sino-US relations, and that is to have a correct understanding of Sino-US relations: If we make a fuss about cooperation, we will surely be full of splendid chaptersFocusing on competition, the spread of populism alone can lead competition to go in a crooked way, and even evolve into the absurd phenomenon that "whoever advocates good relations between the two countries is considered an undercover agent of the other side." The extreme atmosphere of anti-China, that is, political correctness, formed on Capitol Hill in Washington, is inseparable from the frequent manipulation of anti-China issues by some prejudices. If you want to crack the extreme ** field, contact is indispensable. Only through effective dialogue and communication, so that the communities and masses of each other's societies can get a correct understanding of each other, can we hold the reins of the abyss. If people with ulterior motives gain the attention of the society through extreme performances that are abnormal and do not conform to the basic ethics of international politics, so as to eat extreme meals under the banner of patriotism, then it will inevitably trigger the demonstration effect of extreme performances, so that extreme public opinion will ferment wave after wave and will inevitably get out of control. In a society, if populist performers are allowed to guide and dominate the bilateral relationship, it will be difficult for bilateral relations to fundamentally improve, and they can only slide into the abyss. This will inevitably make many efforts to improve Sino-US relations in vain, after all, "when you are staring into the abyss, the abyss is also staring at you".
Doing a good job in Sino-US relations is the expectation of the world. As major powers with global influence, the relationship between China and the United States has long gone beyond the bilateral sphere. The economic development of China and the United States has not only had a positive effect on both sides, but also on global economic cooperation, industrial division of labor, and market revival. In the 45 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the bilateral volume between the two countries has increased from less than US$2.5 billion in 1979 to nearly US$760 billion in 2022, two-way investment has increased from nearly zero to more than US$260 billion, and there have been 284 pairs of friendship relations between provinces, states and sister cities. Breaking the foundation of these cooperation, reorganizing the industrial chain, at a time when the global industrial division of labor is becoming more and more refined, the gains outweigh the losses, and the damage to others is not beneficial to themselves. The series of operations against economic globalization, like the "seven wounds" in Jin Yong**, hurt others and hurt oneself, which not only makes the global third-party related industries helpless and hesitant, but also makes the two-way cooperation come to an abrupt end. It is not only time that is lost, but also trust, and that breeds fears of economic hegemony. Only by improving China-US relations can the global market be reassured and no longer worry about the uncertainty of economic development caused by the abuse of long-arm jurisdiction.
Since the pandemic, the world has needed certainty in economic development so much. Certainty is a hope. A good run of Sino-US relations not only brings hope to the world economy, but also brings confidence to the Chinese and US economies. The "San Francisco Vision" reached by the two heads of state has reached more than 20 consensus and outcomes in the fields of politics and diplomacy, economy, trade and finance, people-to-people exchanges, global governance, and military security.
However, the certainty of paper still needs the certainty of landing. The two sides have finally come out of the lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and if this "certainty" is weakened rather than enhanced, it may only bring about "no bottom point, only a lower point". Who wants to see that?It can only be those interest groups that eat the "bad meal of Sino-US relations". At a low point in the relations between the two countries, it is simple and easy to "eat bad food" and it is easy to get applause, but on the contrary, the promotion of friendship will face many obstacles. However, a society cannot always rely on the Cold War mentality to overcome everything, and it is easy to shout slogans, but it is easier said than done to build friendship. As the author said, there cannot be only one Kissinger between China and the United States, but there are also more people of insight like Dr. Kissinger. China's policy toward the United States has always been one of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, which is also in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries.
To do a good job in China-US relations, public diplomacy is the only way to go. Through rich, diverse, and flexible public diplomacy, we can effectively reduce the trust deficit and enhance the friendship dividend. In the ice that plagues the relationship between the two countries, the most critical ones are mistrust, incomprehension and miscalculation. To thaw the glacier, it is necessary to restore the heat of exchanges and enhance the breadth of mutual understanding among the public. China's plan to invite 50,000 American teenagers to China for exchanges in the next five years is undoubtedly an ingenious move to break the ice. Treat with sincerity, and you can gain sincerity;Responding with falsehood will surely be rewarded with hypocrisy. Making good use of the way of public diplomacy will do no harm in bridging the psychological gap between the Chinese and American people and renewing the symphony of friendship and cooperation.
How to do a good job in Sino-US relations is a question that must be answered, and this is the fundamental way to cure the diplomacy of major countriesHow to do a good job in Sino-US relations is also a policy topic, and there are many ways to do so, but we must answer it well.
This article was written by Han Fangming, president of the Chahar Institute, a think tank on diplomacy and international relations.
Author: Han Fangming Editor: Hong Lin Review: Zhou Jiajia.