Who Is the US Trying To Intimidate with Its Double-Dealing in the South and East China Seas?

Published in Huanqiu
(China) on 10 February 2014
by Editorial (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Darius Vukasinovic. Edited by Sean Feely.
On Feb. 7, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced to both the Japanese foreign minister and local media that the U.S. neither recognizes nor accepts China's establishment of an air defense identification zone in the East China Sea. Moreover, he said that the U.S. will protect the Japanese islets claimed by China in the event of any attack on them. Only a few days earlier, U.S. officials openly called into question China's "nine lines" policy for the South China Sea and strongly condemned Beijing over rumors that China would establish an air defense identification zone over the area. The U.S. has clearly announced its intentions here, and this has left China disgusted; throughout every province, Chinese people are in utter astonishment.

It must be pointed out that no one in Asia desires or intends to go to war. This is a result of friction amid those who have the capacity to start a conflict. Japan, the Philippines and others have created this concept of a "rising China threat" for the purposes of their own personal gain, and with one glance, the U.S. can see their games for what they are. But for Washington to play along by tolerating their displays of pathos — this turns fantasy into reality. This is dangerous.

The U.S. has sent the wrong message here. This act will possibly fuel Japan and the Philippines continuing to pursue their ambitions. It will increase the probability of violent confrontations in Asia. Moreover, it will admit further confusion into U.S.-China relations and will erode the fragile trust that exists between these two great nations. If the White House thinks these recent acts are a convenient strategy for solving East Asia's issues, then the U.S. is a warped superpower — at its core, barely superior to either Japan or the Philippines.

The U.S. has never left the Asia-Pacific region, yet it has clearly proclaimed its intentions for a "return to the Asia-Pacific." By the looks of things, the U.S. is somewhat befuddled here.

Does the U.S. want to hedge itself against China's rise? Well, it is becoming clearer and clearer that China cannot be contained. So in the end, what does America want? Does it want peace in East Asia? Does it want to increase hostilities between China, Japan, the Philippines and others? Or does it want these countries to have neither peace nor war? The White House is sending out contradictory signals. The U.S. has yet to make itself any clearer than these utterly perplexed countries in East Asia.

China has been nothing else but the one East Asian country most supportive of shelving war plans in order to promote joint progress. In the series of clashes at hand, the first country to trigger a confrontation will definitely not be China. China's goal is not to use arms to solve disputes within the East Asia seas; it is instead to promote an attitude of genuine respect throughout East Asia for the issues at stake. It wants to stop any country from again recklessly pushing agendas that could spark conflicts.

If the U.S. thinks itself the stabilizing hand here, then it's being highly naive. If its intent is to instead apply pressure in some preferred direction, then it will only introduce further chaos into the Asia-Pacific. In trying to weaken the political orderliness here, all that will remain will be fierce rivalries and deadly scheming.

China will show no toleration for America's troublemaking and the dangers it will cause. China has never considered going to war with anyone, but it will insist upon its position and rights in the situation at hand. It does not fear the friction its stance creates with Japan, the Philippines or other countries. We also trust that neither Japan nor the Philippines have the fortitude for starting a war with China. We revile them both for all the diatribes they direct at us.

As for the White House's tirade against China, we also express our mutual contempt. The U.S. has thoroughly shredded Washington's political credibility in Chinese society. From these acts, the Chinese people can only conclude that America's benevolence is mere double-dealing. When doing business with a country like America with one hand, we ought to keep the other hand free to protect ourselves.

Along with the increase of China's strength, we should also seek methods for countering America's leverage so we can respond tit-for-tat to further provocations from the U.S. [and] seek different degrees of countermeasures that we can use against America's ploys in the region. Though we yet lack the power in full, we will not fail to respond powerfully to Washington's provocations. Relations between China and the U.S. are very important, but when Washington kicked us from under the desk like this we could not respond in kind.

The U.S. is helping Japan, the Philippines, the Dalai Lama and Rebiya Kadeer, and Washington is hot for helping anyone else in China that is a "public figure with a different viewpoint." In doing all this, the U.S. still cannot shake China. All the U.S. has done is instead shown the Chinese people that [the U.S.] seeks to play a confounding role in China's road to revival. This is the reality that faces us now — whether it is best for us to decrease our power in the East and South China Seas or to increase it.


美国国务卿克里7日对日本外相和媒体表示,美国不承认也决不接受中国设立的东海防空识别区,并将保护日本在包括中国称拥有主权的岛屿上不受任何攻击。就在前几天,美国官员还公开质疑中国在南海的“九段线”,并根据中国将设南海防空识别区的传闻对北京强硬喊话。美国显然说多了,这让中国反感,也让整个地区不知所以然。
  必须指出,东亚现在无任何一方有战争的愿望和意志,这里有的是权益之争和由此产生的摩擦。日本、菲律宾等出于私利伪造来自中国的“战争威胁”,美国能一眼看清它们的把戏,但华盛顿陪它们玩,纵容它们打悲情牌,假戏真做,这是危险的。
  美国传递出错误信号,不仅有可能使日菲更激进,增加东亚发生更激烈对抗的几率,而且会在中美之间制造更多困惑,削弱两大国脆弱的信任。美国如果以为这样做是得了战略便宜,那它就是枉做超级大国,心眼并不比日菲大多少。
  美国从来就没有离开过亚太,它高喊“重返亚太”的战略目标是什么,它自己看上去就挺糊涂。
  美国是要对冲中国崛起吗?那么它越来越了解,中国崛起根本遏制不了。它究竟是想要东亚的和平,还是想要中国同日菲等国的对抗,抑或是要这些国家不战不和?美国经常发出矛盾信号,它自己未必就比对此充满困惑的东亚国家更清楚。
  中国总体上是东亚最支持“搁置争议、共同开发”的国家,当前的一系列冲突,最初的打破者都不是中国。中国的战略目标不是要武力解决东亚海上纠纷,而是要推动上述准则在东亚真正受到尊重,各方都不再以单方行动肆意颠覆它。
  美国如果认为自己在做“平衡手”,那么它的平衡很愚蠢。如果它就是要拉偏手,那么它在加剧东亚的混乱,它在使这里失去政治解决的任何条理,只剩下实力比拼和与此相关的纵横捭阖。
  中国是决不会吃美国捣乱及威胁这一套的。中国没想同谁打仗,但会坚持自己的主张和正当权利,不惧因此同日菲等摩擦。我们相信日菲也没有胆量主动向中国发动战争,我们蔑视那两个国家对中国所说的各种狠话。
  至于美国高官也对中国说不着调的“狠话”,我们同样予以蔑视。美高官这样做将大大损害华盛顿在中国社会中的政治可信度,中国人只会因此认为美国善于两面三刀,跟这样的国家打交道,我们必须多防它一手。
  随着中国力量的增加,我们会因为一再受美国的刺激,动心思刻意发展一些能够针锋相对触动美国的杠杆,对美实施不同程度的反制和报复。我们即使仍力量不足,对华盛顿的挑衅也绝对不会无动于衷。中美关系很重要,但这不意味着在华盛顿从桌子底下踹我们的时候,我们不可以也反过来踹它两脚。
  美国在帮日本、菲律宾,在帮达赖、热比娅,此外华盛顿还热衷于帮助中国的所谓“异见人士”。美国做这一切,至今都未能撼动中国,倒是帮中国人看清了美国在中国复兴路上的角色是多么“复杂多面”。这种认识的生成,或许比东海、南海上我们多一分或者少一分压力重要得多。
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