Henry Kissinger, in his conversation with Fu Ying, China's former vice foreign minister and now chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, said: "For a long period of history, the United States enjoyed absolute superiority and its foreign policy was based on such a premise." But as Fu Ying pointed out, the U.S. needs to learn to adapt to the new world environment where the ground is shifting. It needs to learn to work with equals.

As Henry Kissinger noted, Americans are convinced that "American principles are universal." That implies any country not practicing those principles is less than legitimate.

But that is absurd. There is a big gap between the reality of U.S. political practice and the ideals formulated by its founders, especially after the right-wing dominated Supreme Court abolished the limits to campaign donations. Money reigns supreme in American politics today. And the Wall Street gave the world one of the worst financial crisis of 2008.

Multi-polarity and pluralism are becoming increasingly the reality of today's world. China's President Xi Jinping has always stressed a country's right to choose its own political institutions and development path. As histories, cultural traditions, value schemata and circumstances differ widely, no system (or principle) can claim to be ideal for every country.

It is true the Western-sponsored Bretton Woods system has worked for 70 years. But it is far from perfect. Reform of IMF voting system is overdue. And China has proposed new financial institutions to supplement the World Bank and Asia development Bank.

The world is evolving and so is the world order. Political struggles for the distribution of roles, rights and authority is inevitable. The world order has to change to reflect changing realities and power relations.

The current of history is unstoppable!

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

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