China-Latin America Relations: Never Meant to Provoke US

Xi Jinping’s amazingly successful visit to Latin America greatly enhanced economic cooperation between China and Latin America. The U.S. government displayed a neutral attitude, but U.S. public opinion has expressed some displeasure and even worry. Generally speaking, public opinion reflects a truer psychological perspective of society.

Latin America is the farthest civilization from the Chinese mainland. Since the cross-strait “diplomatic truce,” Latin America has been friendly and never really troublesome to China. In international politics, it is basically a rule for distant countries to come into contact easily and for nearby countries to be more closely related, but the reality is that the majority of international conflict and friction occur between nearby countries.

In the same way, China believes, the diplomatic issues of today move farther and farther away, and strategic partnerships work smoother when distant. China and the U.S. are an ocean away from each other, but because they are both large and influential countries, their relationship is neighborly.

Xi Jinping received a warm and sincere welcome from every country in Latin America. The U.S. has long regarded Latin America as its “backyard,” but the friction between them has been consistent. However, we cannot simply say that China-Latin America relations are “better” than U.S.-Latin America relations; one or two adjectives can compare them on a basic level, but, no matter what, they are inaccurate.

China went to Latin America not to engage in geopolitics, but to develop cooperation. Xi Jinping even gave President Obama a phone call while in Brazil, so it’s evident that China still considers America’s feelings. Even so, the American public still talks bitterly about the visit. It seems that geopolitics is the most basic perspective from which many people view national relations, and escaping it will not be easy.

Let’s look back at Asia. China and several neighboring countries have ongoing maritime disputes. The United States openly advertises its Asia-Pacific rebalancing slogan to strengthen relations with those countries, so what should China think of the United States? Obama emphasizes that America’s goal is not to “contain” China, but if he never really meant this, would it still be easy to believe his good intentions?

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, from the start, probably never wanted to use its newly developed relationship with Latin America to provoke the United States; such a thing would likely even further aggravate Chinese foreign affairs. As time goes on, though, the more powerful China becomes, the more sensitive its development of relations with Latin America will become; this is an inevitable trend.

China has no need to increase the irritation that the United States is feeling; in addition, China probably does not need to worry about America’s feelings toward our relationship with Latin America, in order to avoid the U.S. jumping to conclusions and scaring us. A little unavoidable sensitivity is natural. Over time, I believe that America can adapt to the geopolitical changes; perhaps Washington can even make sense out of its excessiveness.

As for the United States “returning to Asia,” China has demonstrated restraint. In Latin America, China is similarly restrained. The West often assesses China as an unyielding rising power, the main reason lying in its use of the wrong criteria. It has not given due respect to China as a rising power.

China continues to succeed in all areas, but the country must be combined into an entirely new system, including national status and position, and there is still a long way to go. China has achieved a critical stage in national revival; not only is it better day by day, but its future is also full of hope.