The Source of US Diplomacy Failure

The root cause of U.S. foreign policy failure toward many countries, including North Korea, is in its inability to swallow its enormous pride. The U.S. thinks negotiating with enemies is cowardly behavior. Or, based on its long-term hegemonic mentality, the U.S. holds there is no value or necessity in negotiating with rogue states that are scarcely creditworthy.

Several hot spots this week happened to be in Asia. On one hand, the Boao Forum for Asia took place in south China’s Hainan province. Heads of state and elites gathered together to discuss the world’s political and economic hotspot issues. China was displaying its aura of confidence, responsibility and gentleness. On the other hand, the Korean Peninsula was at loggerheads; the U.S. displayed its most menacing modern weapons there. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech in the Boao Forum was having a great effect on the world, as was the U.S., but with a different style of influence.

Xi Jinping expressed China’s willingness and sincerity in promoting good neighborliness and family relations with his accustomed simple and genuine language. He hoped peace could be like air and function as humankind’s common need and pursuit. Xi Jinping proved once again China’s powers of “using softness to overcome hardness” and “forgiveness and friendliness.” Further scaling an even greater height to have an insight into the world, Xi Jinping said China should take on the responsibility to bring Asia and the world to stability and prosperity.

When speaking of peace, Xi Jinping mentioned that no country should be allowed to throw the whole world into chaos for selfish gains. He not only treated this as his motto but also signified more to encourage the U.S., Japan, North Korea and other countries to work on concerted endeavors. To uphold peace, Xi Jinping delineated a path for Asia and the world to build an international community of peace and prosperity. He appealed to all countries and said that rather than undercut the efforts of one another, only by helping one another could they all work toward joint progress. During the efforts to create world peace, big countries should have more patience, wisdom and grace to fulfill their own responsibilities to maintain world peace.

Xi Jinping announced to the world with China’s future economic growth in mind that China recognizes its own mission and responsibility to maintain world peace as well as to bring prosperity to Asia and even the whole global economy. According to him, China’s willingness to shoulder this responsibility was also evident in its soft and tolerant attitudes. While Xi Jinping emphasized the function China had toward Asia and the global economy and prosperity, he also warned the U.S. and other countries: Interfering with Asia would make the already weak global economy more difficult to handle.

In the meantime, the following events occurring in western Asia and the Middle East had their effect on the world: Israel shelled Palestine; Syria’s civil war continued; the U.S. even mobilized surrounding countries to directly oppose Syria, also announcing it would provide direct aid to anti-government fighters there; and Iran developed a new negotiation plan for its nuclear program. These facts in Xi Jinping’s talk offered the best explanation of Asia’s peace and safety being key to the whole world’s peace and prosperity.

During the Boao Forum, China’s new Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, obviously did not refer to “we … do not allow troublemaking on China’s doorstep” in general terms. On the escalating antagonism between North Korea and the U.S., while displaying its soft side, China also declared that it will not stand outside of a conflict breaking out at China’s doorstep. Doubtlessly, this was a kind of warning to warmongers. Although this looked like one little incident of the Boao Forum, it was also a part of China’s overall peaceful strategy.

The U.S.’ warship policy perhaps sped up its “promotion of values,” but it also brought the world many long-term troubles. The other day, the U.K.-based Financial Times published an article titled “Calm in Korea Is Only a Phone Call Away” by Kishore Mahbubani, dean and professor in the practice of public policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. The article analyzed the failure of U.S. diplomatic strategy from a brand-new point of view.

The root cause of U.S. foreign policy failure toward many countries, including North Korea, is its inability to swallow its enormous pride. The U.S. thinks negotiating with enemies is cowardly behavior. Or, based on its long-term hegemonic mentality, the U.S. holds there is no value or necessity in negotiating with rogue states that are scarcely creditworthy. The U.S. treats power as the main and most effective means. This style, apparently, is completely different from China’s foreign strategy, which is guided by Chinese traditional philosophy.

People in countries all over the world should be familiar with the philosophical story about how the air and sun competed to see which one can make people take off their coats first. The Boao Forum has already become a famous platform for the world to discuss and solve hot political and economic issues. On such a high platform involving several big continents, China’s gentle power exerts a more profound influence. This kind of influence tells the world that China not merely does not mean to threaten but actually seeks to play a significant role in promoting world peace and prosperity. Compare that to the U.S. and its inordinate power in Asia. If the U.S. cannot use military force to keep its opponents in check, it should learn to exert its influence in other ways. Following the crisis on the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. may need to review its Asian policies comprehensively.