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US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's China visit has created a good atmosphere for the upcoming summit between Chinese and American heads of state scheduled for October. Although it is hard to say how much concession will be made by both parties in a short term, signs show that Sino-US ties are expected to come to normal.
After the conclusion of a whole-day's talks of "positive significance" with Chinese leaders, Armitage, with a cushy smile, met with Chinese and foreign journalists on the evening of August 26. He was beaming with great satisfaction over his China visit, a preparation for the upcoming presidential meeting.
Both Get Their Due in Pretty Good Atmosphere
Besides having talks with Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and General Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of general staff of the PLA, Armitage was also received respectively by Vice-President Hu Jintao, Vice-Premier Qian Qichen and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan. Armitage brought with him a long-expected, important gift to China--his formal announcement of "East Turkistan" forces as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, Washington declared that it would freeze the organization's property in the United States.
While the Chinese side, on the eve of Armitage's visit, promulgated the Regulations on Export Control of Missiles and Missile-related Items and Technologies, thereby fulfilling Chinese leaders' commitments made to the United States in 2000. This is also a long-expected gift for the Bush administration under busy preparation for its continuing anti-terrorism battles.
Besides the topics for discussion on anti-terrorism, anti-proliferation, regional and economic cooperation and exchange, Armitage and Li Zhaoxing also discussed human rights and religious freedom, long-standing problems of divergence between the two sides of China and the United States. The American official told the press that the United States hopes to transform these inciting factors into positive forces in US-China relations, and both sides are seeking ways (for their solutions).
Li Zhaoxing and Armitage spent much time in discussing issues of South Asia where the latter just concluded his visit there. Armitage thanked China for its efforts to ease tension in this region.
You can imagine that during my meeting with Foreign Minister Tang, Vice-Premier Qian and Vice-President Hu, our emphasis on routine cooperation conducted by our two great countries in a wide-ranging field is of great significance, said Armitage with warm feelings.
"Both sides got their due in a pretty good atmosphere", said Shi Yinhong, director of the Center of US Studies under Renmin University when interviewed by China News Week, adding that this represents good groundwork for the October summit meeting.
Different Expectations of October Summit
Coming on the heels of Armitage was Iraqi foreign minister to China.
In the opinion of Professor Pan Xiuning with Beijing Institute of International Relations, it is very important for the United States to get China's "not against" attitude on the issue of attack on Iraq. It is against the delicate background that after long-term opinion preparation, the Bush administration has adopted the attitude of unfailingly launching attacks on Iraq. But even its close allies, Britain and Canada, all began to say "not support", while the Russians who had just had an "embrace" with the United States, took even stronger action of opposition.
Another important issue set forth by the Chinese side would mean a test to US attitude toward the Chen Shui-bian regime in Taiwan. Since Chen dished up the "one country on each side" statement, the Bush administration has so far made no open, explicit comments; it simply reaffirmed the "One-China" policy.
At the above-said press conference, Armitage also avoided direct comments on Chen's statement, but instead answered by saying "not supporting Taiwan independence". When further inquired, he answered that if a solution based on the consensus of the two sides across the Straits is found, the United States will, of course, not interfere and the issue should be solved by the two parties involved. The remark is more or less disappointing to China, who once expected the United States would, at least, label Chen as a "trouble-maker".
China should not expect too much from the United States, said Shi, for the latter actually does not ask for many things from China, the United States' psychology of superiority as shown before China will continue, on the whole China is in a weak position. China should know its own strength and be prepared against anything that might happen.
What delighted Chinese observers is that there are no small calls from US media criticizing Taiwan for creating danger. Soon afterwards, Bush repeated his wishes for strengthening military cooperation between the two countries, and the Pentagon's attitude toward Sino-US ties tended to be well wished, so military exchanges began to be resumed and warming up.
Build Up Mutual Trust and Turn Toward Normal Ties
It is clear from the talks that the United States has actually sent signals to China for strengthening all-round cooperation and dialogs, said Zhang Guoqing, a researcher with the Institute on US Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
US Congress granted President Bush the Trade Promotion Authority, also known as "the fast traffic lane" power, on July 30, showing great concern over nationwide economic depression. Economy recovery and the anti-terrorism war have become two indispensable tasks facing the Bush administration.
The policy is good for China, a fast growing economy, said Zhang.
In his eyes, there are many signs that the United States has gradually accepted the fact of China growing increasingly strong, and is shifting, in a planned way, its competition fields from traditional ideology and Cold-War mentality to the economic battlefield.
Generally, both sides are seeking more common interests and dealing with disputes in a calm and practical manner. This indicates the Sino-US relations are becoming normal, according to Zhang.
This is to be proved in the October meeting, for which both parties are striving to make it a success.
( People's Daily September 6, 2002)
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