Secretary of State's Marks on Sino-US Relations

During the course of the development of Sino-U.S. relations, the influence of the secretary of state’s relationship with China seem subpar to past presidents’ national security advisers, such as Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, etc. The latter played an important role in icebreaking and normalization of Sino-U.S. relations. The former often had a negative effect on the development of relations between the two countries, such as the last-minute nitpicking of the negotiations of the Shanghai Communiqué by Nixon Secretary of State Rogers; the passive attitude toward the normalization of Sino-U.S. relations by Carter Secretary of State Vance; and Clinton Secretary of State Warren Christopher playing the human rights card against China. Obama Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will likely be no different.

During the first year of the Obama administration, U.S.-China relations experienced a “honeymoon period.” But officials from the White House National Security Council, as the U.S.-China policy initiative changed hands in the State Department, advocated actively for cooperation with China. Hillary Clinton and Assistant Secretary of State Campbell started handling Chinese policy; over the past year, they have left their distinctive mark on U.S.-Sino relations.

The first issue to take place in Sino-U.S. policy after the Obama administration took office was “positive cooperation.” In early 2011, Campbell publicly proposed a new U.S. policy concerning China; a policy that is “reality-based, focused on results and true to our principles and interests.” The essence of this new approach is that the U.S. cannot harbor illusions about China, and in dealings with China, the U.S. must actively pursue their own objectives. Also, the U.S. must not sacrifice its own principles (such as human rights) and interests (such as the issue of arms sales with Taiwan) for the sake of maintaining good relations with China.

The second change relates to the atmosphere of mutual distrust between China and the United States, following the destruction of their bilateral relationship. Hillary Clinton, during her first visit to China as secretary of state, transmitted a feeling of “solidarity” (idiom: To cross a river in the same boat) and good faith in order to get a positive response from China. However, after 2010, Hillary Clinton changed the U.S. policy to “return to the Asia-Pacific” and began to vigorously promote the courting of China’s neighboring nations. This put pressure on China, and coupled with the United States’ face-to-face approach to Sino-U.S. relations, the atmosphere between the two countries quickly became negative and filled with suspicion.

The third change was to reverse the direction of bilateral relations. Originally, due to the impact of the financial crisis, with the U.S. and world economy trying to recover, global governance pushed toward China, in need of China. To deepen cooperation with China, there was even a consensus between the U.S. Democratic and Republican parties. However, disturbed by the rapid rise of Chinese power, a number of American political elite, headed by Hillary Clinton, looked to balance the power of China. Relations between the two countries surged in a competitive manner, causing the world to worry about Sino-U.S. strategic confrontation.

Not only that but, whether in the form of scathing remarks towards China, sowing discord among China’s neighbors or going to Africa to make oblique accusations (idiom: To refer to the mulberry while cursing at the locust), non-career diplomat Hillary Clinton’s outrageous words and deeds have caused strain on Sino-U.S. relations.

We cannot ask every American official to be “friendly” to China. Hillary is good, as is Campbell; they are handling relations with China based on their own beliefs and understanding of the interests of the United States. We cannot blame them. Those who have made a positive contribution to Sino-U.S. relations leave a lasting impression on the minds of the Chinese people; those who are troublemakers become a part of our long experience. The future big developments in Sino-U.S. relations will not be disturbed by a few troublemakers.