Challenges facing Sino-U.S. cooperation

The second decade of the 21st century sees Sino-U.S. cooperation facing several new challenges, and these challenges are steeped in complexity. The War on Terror has drained U.S. power, prompting President Obama's "return to Asia". Additionally, the Asia-Pacific region's status as the global economy's new engine has made it a crucial area of focus for America's economic recovery plans. The fact that China has surpassed Japan to become the world's second-largest economy has also increased trade friction between China and the U.S. China's increased spending on military development has also been labeled a "threat" by the U.S. government.

The new challenges facing Sino-U.S. relations are primarily reflected in trade and the economy. Trade and economic ties can be seen as the glue which holds bilateral ties together. However, China's rapid economic development has increased trade friction between the two countries.

In the latest U.S. National Military Strategy Report released in February 2011, America's national debt was labeled as "a significant national security risk", and China is the largest holder of the "risk". Moreover, some American governors blame China for their country's high unemployment rate, arguing that Sino-U.S. economic and trade exchanges are no longer beneficial for the U.S. The proliferation of this sentiment throughout the U.S. government could result in economic and trade friction spreading to other areas.

Meanwhile, new security challenges have are come to the forefront. China's growing military spending and the research and development of new weapons has made the U.S. increasingly anxious. In its 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review report, the U.S. said that China's rise will "reshape the international system". In its 2011 National Military Strategy Report, the U.S. hinted that China would challenge American supremacy through its nationalism and self-confidence.

Additionally, the U.S. Defense Strategic Guidelines, released in January this year, continued to view China as a cause for concern, expressing the belief that China has the ability to affect the U.S. economy and security. In recent years, the U.S government has favored talking tough where China is concerned, and this may heighten the countries' differences with regard to security.

Future focus crucial to relations

With China's rise and the relative decline of the U.S., the strength gap between the two countries has narrowed. It is crucial that both the U.S. and China deal sensibly with their bilateral relations, especially where the current U.S. strategy of "offensive defense" is concerned. Both need to find a path to peaceful, fruitful bilateral relations.

After more than 30 years of developing ties, China and the U.S. have become interdependent in an economic and trade sense. They also share common interests on regional security and take similar responsibility where other global issues are concerned. It may be impossible for the two countries to avoid future conflict and competition, but each still desires a stable and healthy relationship with the other.

We may be at the turning point for the Sino-U.S. relations, and the leaders of both countries should be farsighted, more strategically-minded and more diplomatically refined in order to maintain and promote the stability of bilateral ties. Dealing effectively with the so-called "third-party factor" and successfully managing competition between the two countries are also practical ways in which crises can be avoided.

Rather than getting entangled in immediate interests, China and the U.S. should stay focused on the future. By continuing the previous cooperation and building new, common foundations, bilateral ties between the two countries will continue to grow and endure, despite the occasional difficulty.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.h5a3.com/opinion/fanjishe.htm

This article was first written in Chinese and translated by Lin Liyao.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.