Source: China Daily Network
Introduction: Recently, Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, held a dialogue with US Secretary of State Pompeo . American political scientist and proposer of the concept of "soft power", Joseph Nye, wrote an exclusive article for China Observation Think Tank, pointing out that the United States has a clear advantage in the field of traditional major power competition; but in the face of various new international problems, the United States is difficult to deal with by relying solely on its own strength. China and the United States have both cooperation and competition, and equal attention must be paid to these two aspects. As the world's top two economies, China and the United States should take the lead in international cooperation and the creation of public products, especially in the face of global common threats such as the new crown pneumonia epidemic, and should demonstrate a cooperative attitude.
In 2017, US President Trump announced that his new national security strategy will focus on "big power competition" with China and Russia. But such a strategy is not enough: under the influence of the information technology revolution and globalization, the world is changing, and even if the United States wins this competition for big powers, it cannot protect its own security alone.
Global Issues
The outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic is the latest example. The epidemic has killed 120,000 Americans, exceeding the total number of deaths in all wars since the end of World War II.
Another example is environmental problems. Although trade disputes may bring setbacks to economic globalization and, while the pandemic may trigger a global economic recession, globalization of environmental problems will continue to intensify.
Image source: China Daily
Pandemic and climate change threaten everyone, and no country can deal with these problems alone. If the United States wants to formulate a successful national security strategy, it must first recognize the fact that the United States and China are the two largest economies in the world, and the size of the two countries determines that we must become leaders in global cooperation. If the largest consumer of public products does not take the lead in producing public products, other countries will "follow the flow" and public products will not be able to be produced.
The United States' national security strategy does not mention a single word about the increasingly prominent transnational security threat. Tariffs and border walls cannot solve these problems. Success requires cooperation with others.
competitive relationship
On transnational issues such as COVID-19 and climate change, the competition of national strength should be a "positive game": we cannot just think about how to suppress others, but also consider how to help others, form a joint force with other countries, and achieve common goals.
On many international issues, helping others is actually helping oneself achieve one's goals. The United States will benefit from it if China improves energy efficiency, reduces carbon dioxide emissions or improves its public health system. vice versa.
Today, institutionalized networks and connections are an important source of national strength. In an increasingly complex world, the most closely connected countries are often the most powerful.
If the key to the future security and prosperity of the United States is to understand the importance of "power over" and "power with", then our current strategy may not be able to bear this important task. Just as I am in my new book "Is morality important?" 》 stated that every country puts its own interests first, but there is an important moral question here: how broad is the definition of these interests?
A recent series of events have shown a tendency that inter-state relations focus on short-term interests and zero-sum transactions, but rarely pay attention to international institutions and allies. After 1945, the guiding ideology of the multilateral order designed by Roosevelt , Truman and Eisenhower is a long-term "enlightened and self-interested". In comparison, the various practices of the US government today are a regression.
Power Game
Image Source: Xinhua News Agency
Since Nixon's visit to China in 1972, despite ideological differences between China and the United States, the two countries have maintained cooperation. The rapid growth of Asia's economy has brought about the strengthening of regional countries' national strength, but there is also a balance of power within Asia. Countries such as Japan, India and Australia have checked and balanced China's strength and do not want to be "suppressed" by China.The United States will still be the key to the balance of power in Asia. As long as the United States continues to maintain relations with its allies, it will be difficult for China to erase U.S. influence from the Western Pacific region, let alone replace the United States as the new "world boss".
In the traditional national competition level, the United States has a good hand, but this ignores the importance of new types of transnational issues.
For an effective national security strategy, the more difficult question will be: Is the United States and China intend to cooperate in manufacturing global public products while competing for traditional major powers? If you always exaggerate panic about each other and analyze it based on the worst-case scenario, then this balanced policy may never be achieved. The argument of the "new Cold War" between China and the United States is misleading and may eventually come true.
Let go of differences
Image source: China Daily
The essence of Sino-US relations is that there is both cooperation and confrontation. A correct and wise competitive strategy requires equal attention to these two aspects. But to truly achieve this, both sides need to have a full understanding of the historical background of bilateral relations, act cautiously in the process of competition, and avoid major misjudgments. In the current situation where nationalist sentiment in China and the United States is increasing, the ability of leaders of the two countries to govern the country is facing severe tests.
During the Cold War in the last century, someone joked that the United States and the Soviet Union could only let go of their differences when the Martians invaded the earth.
Nowadays, the severe threat brought by the new coronavirus is no less than the "Martian invasion". The virus does not ask about nationality, but until now, many countries' responses are still protectionism, shirk responsibility, and "passing the blame" for each other rather than strengthening international cooperation.
There may be a second outbreak in the new crown pneumonia epidemic, and more epidemics will definitely appear in the future. In 1918, the death toll of caused more deaths worldwide than in World War I. We can only hope that before the second wave of the new crown epidemic or the next pandemic hit, countries around the world will change their attitude towards cooperation.
