The Surface and the Insides of the Sino-U.S. Relationship

Published in Zaobao
(China) on 18 July 2011
by Wu Yifeng (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Yipeng Xie. Edited by Derek Ha.
Right after Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen left China, the U.S.S began to act against China — first with the delay of U.S. Vice President Biden’s trip to China due to domestic affairs, then with the arrival of three U.S. army warships in Vietnam and the meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama.

Americans have dealt with China for a long time and completely understand China’s sensitivity to reputation. Since the U.S. doesn’t want to give China any chance to cancel Biden’s trip first, it delayed the trip and claimed domestic affairs as excuses. However, people familiar with the United States know that the U.S. Vice President actually doesn’t have many things to do. He is actually a “spare tire”. Why doesn’t he have time? Besides, the president stays in Camp David frequently and doesn’t seem to be busy dealing with affairs.

Last year, Obama delayed visits to Indonesia and Australia. The scheduled visits to these two places in March 2010 was first delayed to June and finally to November. The official reason was that President Obama needed to negotiate with the Congress on medical reform issues. However, one of the real reasons was that some locals in Indonesia tore down Obama’s statue. There are always explicit and implicit reasons for diplomatic actions, and the implicit reasons are kept to oneself.

The visit of three U.S. warships to Vietnam slapped China in the face. When Mullen was in China, the Chinese military used some inappropriate words and actions. Some physical gestures and contact confused Mullen. For instance, someone pointed to Mullen with his thumb, and one general officer in the Air Force even touched Mullen’s shoulder during their conversation. They should realize the importance of courtesy. When dealing with senior officers like Mullen, the Chinese government should learn more about international diplomatic courtesy. In terms of aircraft carriers, Mullen shared some professional knowledge and claimed that he and China had divergent ideas on this topic. However, the Chinese government expressed satisfaction with Mullen’s comments on aircraft carriers.

The third blow was Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama. The meeting with the Dalai Lama in the White House’s Map Room seems to show respect to China on the surface, but it has actually humiliated China. Obviously, this meeting is revenge for China’s meeting with Sudan’s President al-Bashir. There is another question: What if China meets with Pakistani President Zardari in Zhongnanhai? In China’s opinion, the Dalai Lama is a separatist, but to Americans, the Dalai Lama is their friend because the United States has an established relationship with him dating back to Roosevelt’s time. President Roosevelt even gave a gold watch and a letter to the Dalai Lama as gifts; the letter was lost but the gold watch is still here. The United States will support the Dalai Lama as strongly as they do Libya’s opposition leader until he gains enough power to overthrow China’s central government. Besides, the United States is also ready to face a scenario that the opposition, once governing the country, will go against the United States

The United States' three blows will gain merits for itself, but they will threaten China’s interests. The United States has not only used these attacks once but many times. Even the audience is tired of their methods. President Reagan used the same methods to deal with Gorbachev: first, friendly hugs, but then, a space race. When the Soviet Union tried to win the race breathlessly, Eastern Europe began to drastically change, and the Berlin Wall was torn down. The allied countries in the Soviet Union became restless.

There are so many sophisticated diplomats in China who not only have themselves studied abroad, but also sent their sons and daughters abroad to study “the corruption of capitalism” and “U.S. imperialism’s paper tiger characteristics.” However, these people fail to clearly understand several crucial secrets: First, the U.S.’s national policies are solid and are not influenced by the alternating governments; second, the U.S. tries to alienate communist countries from one another; third, the U.S. is creating all kinds of conditions to try to peacefully disintegrate China; fourth, Chinese officers’ money in U.S. banks never enjoys any privacy; fifth, Chiang Kai-shek was betrayed by the United States.

The Sino-U.S. relationship is like a swing. With every swing, China always loses something. Nowadays, due to Sino-U.S. relations, there are not only communications between parties, but also exchange programs between mayors and state governors from China and the United States. Both sides are exerting power. However, who is more powerful?


美军参联会主席迈克尔-马伦刚刚离开中国,美国便开始对中国出手-先是宣布拜登副总统由于国内的原因而将推迟访华安排;再是美军的三艘军舰到达越南;还有就是奥巴马接见达赖。

   美国人和中国打交道的时间久了,对于中国爱面子的弱点了如指掌。拜登推迟访华,因为美国不想再给中国机会取消这次计划,所以就先下手为强,推说国内有事走不开。略知美国情况的人都知道,美国的副总统其实没有什么事情可做,是一个“备胎”而已,有什么走不开的呢?再说了,美国总统整天抱着自己的爱犬去戴维营度假,从来也没有听说有事走不开过。

   去年奥巴马倒是两次推迟访问印尼和澳大利亚。奥巴马原定于2010年3月访问印尼和澳大利亚,后来推迟到6月,最后推迟到了11月才成行。美国官方的说法是,奥巴马在医疗改革问题上需要和国会沟通,不能离开。其实,真正的原因之一是,印尼的当地群众推到了奥巴马少年时期形象的铜像,引发美国的不满。外交都有理由,关键在于自己的事自己才知道。

   这次美国的三艘军舰访问越南,摆明了是在搧中国的耳光。马伦在中国的时候,中国军方当着他的面说了很多狠话,有时脸色也很不好看,有些手势和身体接触也让马伦觉得很恍惚,比如边走边用大拇指指他,再比如空军的普通军官在和他谈话时,敢于拍他的肩膀,等。这些都说明,有些时候礼节礼貌真的必须进修。对于美国军人,特别是如此高阶的长官,接待方一定要多学习国际上通用的礼仪礼貌,这个很重要。马伦在中国对于航母说了一些既专业又浅显的道理,还说双方的分歧很大;可是,中方却对马伦的访问成果表示满意。可笑不?

   奥巴马接见达赖是组合拳的第三拳。美国在白宫的地图室里接见,表面上是在给中国面子,其实是在羞辱中国。当然,这也是对中国不久前接待苏丹总统巴希尔的一次回敬。现在的问题是,如果中国在中南海接见扎瓦达里会怎么样?在中国的理念中,达赖是分裂分子;在美国的理念中,达赖是美国人民的老朋友,因为从富兰克林-罗斯福总统开始,美国就已经和达赖建立了关系。当年,罗斯福总统给达赖送去了一个金表和一封信;信被丢了,金表还在。美国现在对待达赖,就像在对待利比亚的反对派领袖一样,一定大力支持,直到他有能力来和中央政府对抗。美国很显然也习惯了并预备好了一旦反对派上台后会“反骨”的政治常态。

   美国的三招都是会给美国加分的,也都是会给中国减分的。这种组合拳已经不止一次用过,而是经常用了,连观众自己都有了麻木的感觉了。当年,美国里根总统在对付戈尔巴乔夫也是用同样的招数,先是友好拥抱,然后大搞“太空计划”挑起军备竞赛。等到前苏联气喘吁吁地在发愣的时候,东欧开始巨变,柏林墙开始被推倒,前苏联的各加盟共和国群起闹事。

   中国有那么多见多识广的外交官,不但自己曾经在国外“镀过金”,而且后来也都把子女送到国外去“了解资本主义的腐朽”以及“美帝国主义的纸老虎本质”;可是,这些人是否看清几个重要的核心要害:1)美国的国策是不以政府的更迭而改变的;2)美国利用红色国家来斗红色国家的离间计一直都在使用;3)美国正在创造各种的条件企图和平瓦解中国;4)官员把美钞放在美国的银行里是没有隐私可言的;5)当年国民党蒋介石是被美国出卖过的?

   美国和中国的关系就像是在荡秋千;每次一来一回,中国总是会发现丢掉点什么。如今,中美不但有政党交流,还有州长/市长的交换培训计划;大家都在用力。可是,谁的力气更大?
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