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China and the US share extensive common interests, which have pushed bilateral ties forward and have increasingly helped them overcome challenges in their relations despite a raft of differences and contradictions between them.
Currently, peace and development remain the theme of the times. Globalization and multi-polarization serve as two irreversible trends. These factors have provided a strong driving force for Sino-US relations.
Under such circumstances, an overwhelming majority of nations in the world are pursuing development, with their leadership making this a top priority.
China and the US are no exception. A peaceful external environment is a prerequisite to development.
China has always taken it as a principle of its foreign policy to safeguard world peace. It is also the US policy not to fall into a direct confrontation with the world's major powers.
Globalization has pushed world nations closer and more interdependent on each other. Thus, every nation is more inclined to pursuing cooperation with others instead of confrontation.
Multi-polarization makes competition among the world's major countries more complicated, and any confrontation or conflict between two big powers is expected to lead to no winners.
Under this new reality, China and the US will not get into a confrontation or conflict, despite many barriers between them. The outbreak of any conflict between the two countries will not only compromise their fundamental national interests but is also detrimental to world peace and stability.
The two nations began their historical exchanges as early as in 1784, when the "Empress of China," an American merchant ship, made a long voyage to China.
But the past Sino-US exchanges before World War II had almost been unbalanced, with the US solely benefiting while China held a passive role.
The Pacific War, in which the two countries stood on the same battle front, finally opened a new page for Sino-US cooperation.
But such cooperation was built on the threat from a "common enemy," thus enjoying no solid base. Following the disappearance of this enemy, the two nations fell into a quagmire during the Cold War confrontation.
The threat from the former Soviet Union once again prompted the two nations to forge a quasi alliance for some period of time. However, the ties deteriorated after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In the wake of September 11, the two countries have once again experienced a new honeymoon period, and bilateral ties have reached the "best stage" in history.
The history of Sino-US ties shows that the two nations would stand closer if they face a common threat; otherwise, they would be in disharmony.
Thus, where Sino-US relations will go after the end of the anti-terrorism war remains a big concern. And without a third party, could a superpower and an emerging power coexist peacefully instead of going head-to-head in a confrontation?
Fortunately, as the current world events change, Sino-US relations now are much different from the traditional ones among big powers.
Internal factors within both sides have played an increasingly important role in the ties between China and the US since the former adopted the reform and opening-up policy.
To realize modernization, China should be open to all developed nations and learn from their positive experiences. As the largest developed country, the US naturally becomes the most important target to which China should open its door and from which China can learn.
The US is also gaining more and more benefits from its deepened all-round exchanges with China.
The fact that the two countries succeeded in avoiding a new round of a Cold War after the former Soviet Union, their largest enemy, disappeared, best proves this conclusion.
In the 1990s, Sino-US ties experienced a reversal because of bilateral friction on the human rights issue and the Taiwan question. However, the ties generally improved, with economic and trade cooperation improving in development and cultural, educational and academic exchanges increasingly deepening.
In the mid-1990s, a round of large-scale discussions was held among American ruling and opposition parties about the country's China policy. As a result, a basic consensus was reached that China is not an enemy or rival to the US but is a "strategic partner." Such type of partnership is not based upon the threat from a third party.
Entering the 21st century, a new round of discussions was held within the US about its policy towards China with the rapid increase of Beijing's international clout in the world arena. The core of the discussions was how the US should deal with China's rapid development, whether to consider it as a strategic competitor or as a strategic partner. As a result, the latter viewpoint, which was backed by US President George W. Bush, prevailed over the former.
That demonstrates that American top decision makers have already acknowledged that the foundation of Sino-US ties comes not only from anti-terrorism, but also from other fields and dimensions. Moreover, the common interests the two countries share are bigger than their differences, and to cooperate with China serves the US long-term strategic interest.
That also demonstrates that the two nations have already built their ties on internal factors, and the ties have increasingly improved.
However, such "normalization" only provides a need for deepened cooperation between the two countries, and a healthy and stable relationship still rests upon efforts from both sides.
Over the past months, the US' policy towards China has cast a shadow over Sino-US ties.
The US, together with Japan, saw Taiwan as their "common strategic objective." It also prevented the EU from lifting a long-standing arms embargo on China, and pressured Israel into calling off arms sales to Beijing.
All the factors herald some new changes in the US policy towards China and may be obstacles to a smooth Sino-US relationship.
Currently, the biggest obstacle in Sino-US ties comes from misgivings held by some Americans towards China and their Cold War mentality. If such an outdated view is overcome, the two nations can build a strategic mutual trust and open new cooperation in the future.
(China Daily September 9, 2005)
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