No Need to Overanalyze Obama’s Trip to Asia

Many have interpreted yesterday’s announcement from the White House that U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines in April as a sign of his commitment to the “pivot to Asia” strategy, and accordingly, a clear intention to contain China. However, in reality, overall, China-U.S. relations have maintained a course of stable and healthy development; this trip is merely an effort to make up for the Asian tour that Obama was forced to cancel at the end of last year, a pre-arranged affair to pay his diplomatic dues. Drawing up theories simply because of the trip is pure sensationalism; inferences of a contest of power between the U.S. and China are even further from reality. The two countries are now maintaining close communication and cooperation on every front, working together to establish a new type of great power relations. Both sides can be expected to move toward a cooperative partnership, based on mutual benefit and respect, breaking the mold of the “zero-sum” game. This is in line with the interests of the United States, China and the rest of the world.

The four countries that Obama will visit in April are the same as those confirmed for his original itinerary to the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Indonesia at the end of last year. At that time, however, the heated battle over the U.S. debt ceiling caused a federal government shutdown, which forced Obama to remain stateside to deal with the crisis, leaving Secretary of State John Kerry to attend the summit in lieu of the president. Obama visiting these four countries on his trip to Asia this year is nothing more than making up for lost time. It is an arrangement made for the sake of diplomatic etiquette and certainly not meant as a slight to China.

Many are aware that today the secretary of state began a two-day visit to China. The U.S. Department of State reported that Kerry will convey to China that the U.S. is committed to seeking the establishment of a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship and welcomes the rise of a peaceful and prosperous China that plays a positive role in global affairs. After years of continued development, the relationship between the U.S. and China has become one of mutual dependence, evolving to the point where each can say “you are a part of me, and I am a part of you.” Despite differences that remain between the two nations, particularly regarding U.S. wariness and worry regarding China’s rise, China has repeatedly placed emphasis on peaceful development and a peaceful rise. As long as both sides respect and pay heed to each other’s core interests and major concerns, effectively manage their differences, increase mutual trust, and limit misunderstandings and misjudgments, China-U.S. relations will continue to follow a constructive track of development.

As the world’s largest developed and developing nations respectively, the U.S. and China are coming more and more to realize that strengthening dialogue, communication and mutual trust is crucial to the welfare of both nations and the globe. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relationship; contact and exchange on every level between the two will become increasingly frequent. The heads of the two nations will have several opportunities to meet, including the Nuclear Security Summit in March, Obama’s trip to China for the APEC summit this autumn, the G-20 summit being hosted in Brisbane, Australia, in mid-November, and even a possible replaying of last year’s California Sunnylands meeting between Obama and Xi. Moreover, this year’s China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue will take place in China, and high-level meetings and multilateral talks and exchange will come to greater effect. This holds especially true as the pace of military interaction increases. This summer, China will join the American-led Rim of the Pacific military exercise for the first time, and Chinese military personnel are currently participating in the Thai-U.S. exercise Cobra Gold. The facts clearly show that the U.S. and China are entirely capable of maintaining a stable, developing political relationship, through which they can collaborate to preserve and foster peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the Pacific.