Hillary Uncovers China’s Hand

American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Beijing attracted worldwide attention, and there has been extensive discussion about the goals of her trip. The American side holds that it’s a “listening tour;” from China’s perspective it’s a “scouting-out tour.” So did Hillary uncover China’s cards in the end?

What does Hillary want to uncover? From the actions and talks of the last two days, we can surmise that it encompasses all areas, but as pertains to Sino-American strategic and situational relations as a whole, there are three main areas that she’s interested in:

The first area is how the diplomatic relations between China and America’s leaders can be more effectively opened up, how Hu Jin-Tao and Obama can cooperate, and how to build a relationship of mutual trust. China’s current card is: Chairman Hu Jin-Tao has agreed to meet with President Obama at the beginning of April at the G-20 financial summit meeting to discussing long-term, comprehensive, strategic and economic questions. The Chinese side will make careful preparations to ensure the meeting’s success.

China’s foreign minister Yang Jie-Chi has already announced that the meeting between Hu Jin-Tao and Obama at the beginning of April at the G-20 financial summit held in London will be the first meeting between the leaders of these two countries. At the same time, Hu Jin-Tao has warmly invited President Obama to visit China at his earliest convenience. Yang expressed that since Obama has taken the presidency, Chairman Hu has begun relations with him over the telephone and through other means, and that both sides are working hard toward the development of important agreements in Sino-American relations in this new age. China is willing to work hard, together with America, to diligently realize the agreement reached by its leaders, promoting long-term healthy development of Sino-American relations from this new start. Hillary has no reason not to be happy about such a card.

The second area concerns whether or not the patterns of Sino-American dialogue can be improved and expanded, and whether or not some sensitive political questions will be included. Public opinion holds that the change in the American government brings uncertainty to the content and procedure of the two countries’ dialogue.

For example, questions about whether or not to continue current strategic economic dialogue, which departments which head up future mechanisms, what the subjects of dialogue will be – all of these are uncertain. With Hillary’s visit, China and America have built a strategic and economic dialogue agreement in principle, hoping to clear away previous uncertainties and renewing the regular continuance of the two countries’ high-level economic discussions.

Hillary expressed that she represented American President Obama’s greetings toward Hu Jin-Tao, and anticipated that the leaders could meet at the G-20 financial summit held on April 2nd, hoping that at that time the two could officially announce the establishment of a “strategic and economic dialogue” between the two countries. China’s card here is that it will affirm this, and agree to expand the economic question of the high-level dialogue to include other areas, including security issues. Hillary has no reason to worry about this card.

The third area concerns whether cooperation in Sino-American relations will be expanded and take on a course of steady development infused with new thought. Hillary said that she believes America and China can both benefit from each others’ successes, and both can contribute to each others’ successes. She also expressed that through mutual care and opportunities, each can put forth greater efforts toward mutual benefit. “Two people cannot forever be of one opinion, but we can provide for a rainy day. We have seen how in the last 30 years China has achieved long-term development under the direction of Deng Xiao-Ping’s liberating policies, and we also believe that in the next thirty years Sino-American cooperation will certain leave its imprint in China’s development.” Hillary emphasized that the Obama government “desires large-scale cooperation with China.”

Of course China welcomes this card. Hu Jin-Tao also said to Hillary that Sino-American relations are one of the most important of the 21st century. In the face of a relentlessly expanding and spreading international financial crisis, and against the backdrop of daily-emerging global challenges of all sorts, taking the next step to deepen and develop Sino-American relations is more important than ever. The Chinese government has always viewed Sino-American relations from a high strategic level and long-term perspective and hopes to, together with the U.S., capture opportunity, face future challenges, and push Sino-American relations toward the next step of development. Hillary has no reason not to accept this card.

Public opinion points out that it’s quite obvious that the main objective of Hillary’s China trip is not to achieve a concrete negotiation result, but rather to “feel out” the different areas of trade relations, climate change, Korean nuclear weapons, military dialogue, and so on in order to set a basic framework for future Sino-American dialogue and cooperation. In clearer terms, Hillary’s trip to China was taken to in order to clearly lay out, early on, the Obama administration’s policy toward China, and to pave the way for new Sino-American dialogue.

This line of opinion is quite correct. We believe that the purpose of Hillary’s visit to China is to get to the bottom of things, not only scratch the surface. What is the bottom of things? It’s strategic content and direction, not minor details and issues. It seems that among American administrations, only the Obama one has, from inception, made plans for Sino-American relations from the perspective of strategic cooperation.

Therefore, the most important purpose of Hillary’s visit to China is to “get to the bottom of things,” not worry over or try to solve small problems. Small things don’t get in the way of the bigger plan. Hillary shoulders the responsibility of defining the new plan for the development of Sino-American relations.

What should also be mentioned at this time is that Hillary’s China trip isn’t only to “figure out China’s hand;” it’s also to display America’s.

We have seen that Hillary, looking at things from a larger perspective, has put aside some personal prejudices. For example, she discussed with China the issue of human rights but expressed that she doesn’t want the issue to interfere with the resolution of greater problems. “But our pressing on those issues can’t interfere on the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis,” she said.

It can thus be seen that Hillary is one who takes into account the whole picture; one with great aspirations. Her performance in Beijing has created a new start for the next phases of Sino-American relations, brought about a positive atmosphere, secured a solid foundation, and is worthy of exceptional praise.

Before this trip, global public opinion held that she would bring a “thorny olive branch” to China. After the trip, there were some analysts who believed that the trip was taken to exert pressure on China or to test out its waters. In an unprecedented move, she used the Chinese idiom “in the same boat” to describe Sino-American relations, but she didn’t put aside all prejudices toward the nation. In the past the West often said that China needed capitalism; now capitalism needs China. On this trip Hillary zeroed in on China’s pocketbook, wanting secure promises to buy American bonds. Where China’s foreign reserves will go is the focus of everyone’s attention. Where money is concerned, Hillary talks about being “in the same boat” in order to get Beijing’s promise.

There are structural contradictions between China and America which cannot be solved simply through a couple visits. What has not been resolved for a long time Hillary cannot solve on this trip. When the time comes, these contradictions flare up and seriously influence the normalization of Sino-American relations. Therefore, the development of Sino-American relations must, at certain times, run into problems and become strained.

However, it is because of the complicated nature of Sino-American relations that Hillary’s China visit holds important meaning. China has warmly received her, has met needs with provision, and laid bare its cards. It has fully expressed its hope for cooperation with the Obama government and hopes for even better and smoother relations. Toward Sino-American relations and Chinese policy, hopefully the American government will not “break any branches.” This is China’s most important “card,” unadorned and completely laid open.

For Hillary, who has uncovered China’s cards, the trip has not been in vain!