New Milestone in Sino-U.S. Relations

Responding to U.S. President Obama’s invitation, China’s President Hu Jintao arrived in Washington, D.C., America’s capital, on [Jan.] 18, to open up a four-day visit to the U.S. The visit marks the 40th anniversary of China and the U.S. restarting their foreign diplomatic relations and the world crossing over into the second decade of the 21st century. More importantly, after Sino-American relations experienced last year’s repeated unrest, both sides need to increase strategic trust in order to lay the foundation for the development of the future. Hu Jintao’s state visit to the U.S. is a historically important diplomatic event for Sino-U.S. relations to move on from the past and pave the way for the future. This significant new milestone will have a profound and lasting impact on the future development of the relationship between these two countries.

Since the end of the Cold War, the status of the Sino-American relationship has changed many times. Since Obama took office, a global financial crisis occurred, the world entered the post-crisis era and there has been a change in U.S. domestic politics. America faces and is unable to adjust to China’s rapidly increasing national strength. Their policies toward China are wavering at a crossroads, which shows that both sides lack mutual strategic trust. The ups and downs that Sino-American relations have suffered through this past year prove that China-U.S. cooperation will benefit both sides; fighting, however, will harm both sides. With these issues lurking in the background, both China and America hope that through this Sino-U.S. summit, they can repair and set the tone for bilateral relations this year.

Through the stressed importance, careful planning and positive evaluation by Chinese and American officials, this “Hu-and-Obama Meeting” will probably cause both sides to enter into a “honeymoon period.” Especially on the topic of how to increase bilateral strategic trust, if both sides can reach a clear consensus, then this will be a new milestone in Sino-U.S. relations. Both sides need to constructively clarify the importance of Sino-American cooperation and coordination, either through an important China-U.S. joint statement or by adopting a new document clearly stating the status of Sino-U.S. relations. One of these is expected to be issued at the end of this “Hu-and-Obama Meeting.” However, whether or not something is ultimately signed depends entirely on the atmosphere of these discussions. If a document is ultimately signed, this will be a good start to the new 2011 track that Sino-American relations are on.

China and the U.S. are two very influential countries; thus, when either country views its relationship with the other, the divergence in social systems, foreign strategic orientations and power structures will unavoidably create differences between them. However, China and the U.S.’ interdependence and common interests are greater than the conflict between them. China and the U.S. need to strengthen communications with each other, to understand each other’s positions and to continually strengthen cooperation when dealing with common interest issues; only then can bilateral relations continue to move forward.

Expect the “Hu-and-Obama Meeting” to bring many positive outcomes and make cooperative win-win efforts the main theme for bilateral relations. In addition to Sino-U.S. relations being solidified through the issuance of a joint statement or the drafting a new document, both countries’ economic trade cooperation will become closer, and there will be many large-sum agreements signed. America will deepen its understanding of China’s core concerns, such as the U.S. selling arms to Taiwan, the Tibet issue, etc. On global issues like North Korea and Iran becoming nuclear, climate change and terrorism, China and the U.S. are expected to reach some sort of consensus. There will also be an increase in China-U.S. military interactions.

Sino-U.S. relations have been developing consistently up through today; they are already inseparable. At the “Hu-and-Obama Meeting,” the position of Sino-American relations has already achieved a common understanding. It will increase mutual strategic trust and will allow healthy, stable and positive developments in bilateral relations. This will not only benefit peoples of both countries, but will also have a great and lasting positive influence on global peace and development.