To Become a Master, You Have to “Play” with a Master

The world is filled with great concerns, such as the financial, debt and economic crisis, as well as political chaos and social disorder in many countries. Among these, the financial crisis is undoubtedly the most concerning and could become the cause of a wide range of issues that could trigger social unrest.

If you study these issues, you would find that most of them are related to the United States, which is facing its own difficulties: a difficult economic recovery, high unemployment, a worsening national debt crisis and a culture of living above their means. Additionally, how can it end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, contain the threats from China and Russia and deal with North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela, which have dared to challenge the country? These troubles are plaguing the U.S.

The United States is the most powerful country in the world. In fact, it is the country in the modern history of the world that has been the most successful in the world arena, and it may be the last major player. France, Britain, Germany, Russia and other countries have played this role previously; but what prospers for a long time will decay, and what is in decay for a long time will flourish.

The current financial crisis could be a turning point for the world. I personally believe that within the next 30 to 50 years, a few emerging countries will match the prowess of the U.S. Today’s Britain will be the U.S. of tomorrow. Within 50 years to 100 years, many emerging countries will be on equal footing as the U.S., with a few of them exceeding it, much like the Italy of today compared to when it was leading the world. Within 100 years, a number of countries in the world will overtake the U.S. The Greece of today will be the U.S. in 100 years. All in all, we can see the Europe of today as the U.S. of the future.

Of course, due to advantages in technology, the military and the U.S. dollar, the U.S. will not fade quickly. It all depends on how various conflicts are managed as well as how technology develops, which may accelerate or slow the change. Nevertheless, there will be constant “change,” and everything will be variable. For some, this will be an “opportunity.”

However, it takes hard work to transform “opportunity” into the desired reality. U.S. relations with China will be the key. The U.S.-China relationship is governed by the “unity of opposites”: They have been rivals and partners; the largest developed country and the largest developing country; “you have me, and I have you.” Neither can do without the other. Although the U.S. needs China, it also wants to contain it. So when Sino-U.S. relations are good, they are not much better, and when they are bad, they are not much worse. “Fighting each other or fighting together — just as it is difficult to be together for a long time, it is difficult to fight for a long time.”

Historically, the United States’ policy toward China has been as a dove among hawks. The Boxer Rebellion is an example of when the United States was regarded as one of the “doves” in the Eight-Nation Alliance — since geographically, the U.S. had no claims on Chinese territory, unlike the Russians and Japanese. The Boxer Indemnity established Western-style education in China. The United States also was one of the largest aid providers to China during the world war. If not for the conflicts in the Korean Peninsula, bilateral relations would not have been frozen for over 20 years, and the Taiwan issue may have already been resolved.

We need to get used to U.S.-China relations going between extremes. When relations border on becoming good, it starts going in the direction of being bad. Whenever the U.S. pays China a visit, one of three things will soon happen: a meeting with the Dalai Lama, arms sales to Taiwan, or forcing the issue of the appreciation of the renminbi. Another example is when the Chinese embassy was attacked in Yugoslavia, Clinton responded by attending a Chinese women’s soccer game. These are necessary maneuvers for political balance.

Within the U.S., there are two attitudes toward China: The U.S. government and businesses as a whole are pro-China for the sake of doing business with China. Congress and the media in general are anti-China. The U.S. government’s view of the world trend is relatively clear. Near the end of the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, the Soviet Embassy moved to Guangzhou, and the U.S. government was already planning to abandon Gen. Chiang. But the American people’s view of the world is often naïve. Many Americans have never left their small town, and their understanding of world affairs is highly affected by the media.

To protect their core interests, the U.S. pit Taiwan against China. Taiwan became a U.S. pawn, which was a tragedy for the Chinese nation. The U.S. profited at the expense of Taiwan. The United States’ claim of “not supporting” Taiwan’s independence is somewhat ambiguous, which serves to suppress it. And its “Taiwan Relations Act” uses Taiwan as a platform to bolster its own interests.

To become a master you have to “play” with a master. The United States is the world’s largest developed country. We have to “play” with the U.S. to improve our science and technology sector and our financial market. Of course, in order to learn, we need to pay tuition; there is no way around it.

China cannot compete with the U.S. without first improving our science and technology as well as financial sectors. The U.S.-China relationship is relevant not only to China but the whole world. The world has been ambivalent about China, but mainly it has been pro-U.S. China should learn to unite with other countries to counter the United States. A mature and rational politician knows how to take the initiative to control the relationship; an immature politician will eventually learn how to be a mature one by experience. After 9/11, former U.S. President George Bush began to join forces with China to counter terrorism. There is no right or wrong in a nation’s policy as long as they are in line with national conditions. The French Revolution produced a republic; the British constitutional monarchy emerged after a glorious revolution. People can always learn to accept and adapt. The U.S. system must not be copied bluntly but must be adapted. China should adopt a policy toward the United States of “fighting in harmony, harmony in fighting; fighting but never splitting; using the struggle to promote harmony and striving to achieve mostly harmony” — and through this process capture it.

The author, Tang Shuangning, is the chairman of Everbright Group.