Since the end of the cold war, Sino-US relations have tended to undergo some change whenever a new US administration is sworn in – as has been the case with the Obama administration. There are two root causes: the complexity of Sino-US relations, and the fact that China policy has always been such a controversial topic in American politics. Three factors affecting Obama's China policy
Compared with other US administrations since the end of the cold war, the Obama administration has something new in its China policy: in the 2008 US general election, China was no longer the most debated issue between candidates of different parties. So the newly-elected Democratic president Obama was not obliged to deliver a "China commitment" made during the elections. Generally speaking, three factors exert significant influence over Obama administration's policy toward China:
Firstly, the US economy has been seriously affected by the ongoing global financial crisis. As China and US are the two of the world's most important commercial partners, developing a sound Sino-US relationship is crucial to helping Obama build people's confidence in the recovery of the US and the world economy. Secondly, Obama wants to break away from President Bush's hard-line diplomatic policy and turn instead to so-called "smart power". It is crucial for him to cooperate with China and to persuade China to support his international efforts on a number of issues: emissions reduction, climate change, prevention of arms of mass destruction and cracking down on terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Thirdly, several core foreign policy leaders in the US democratic administration, such as Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, all adopt a moderate attitude toward China.
New tone set for Sino-US relations
Affected by the three factors mentioned above, the Obama administration's policy toward China demonstrated the following characteristics during the first 100 days in office:
Firstly, the new US administration wants to drag China aboard its high-speed "Obama's reformed diplomacy" train, and is trying to push bilateral Sino-US relations to a global level through expanding Sino-US cooperation in many global and regional issues on the basis of common interests. At the London summit on April 1, 2009, the heads of state agreed that the two sides should jointly establish positive, cooperative and comprehensive Sino-US ties in the 21st century. Secondly, the new US administration will continue to pursue Clinton and Bush's "pragmatism" in its China policy. It will not attempt to resolve the impasse of divergence with China on human rights. The two sides have learned to respect and take into account the core interests of their counterpart, and they have strengthened dialogue and exchanges and tried properly to deal with disputes and sensitive issues. In fact the Obama administration's China policy didn't run quite smoothly at the very beginning. The designated US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner groundlessly accused China of manipulating the RMB exchange rate, a comment that subsequently came under fierce fire from the Chinese side.
Then on March 8 the skirmish between US ship "Impeccable" and Chinese ships caused further strain to Sino-US ties.
The above points of friction were quickly resolved. This demonstrated a positive stance from both sides in dealing with contentious issues.
Thirdly, various channels and mechanisms for talks up to the highest level will be refined, in the context of an overall commitment to maintain and develop regular high-level talks and negotiations. At the London summit on April 1, President Obama accepted President Hu Jintao's invitation to visit China in the second half of 2009. This means Obama will pay an official visit to China in the first year of his presidency. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ended her first East Asia trip in China. Frequent talks between heads of state and high level officials signal a positive tendency in improved Sino-US relations.
Effort and honesty needed in the future
The Obama administration came into power amid the ongoing global financial turmoil and economic downturn. China and the US, as the world's largest emerging economy and the largest developed country, should join hands to fight the worst financial crisis since World War II. Their cooperation will provide an important impetus for world stability and prosperity. Just as Clinton said in her speech at the Asia Society New York Headquarters on February 13, 2009: "When you are in the same boat, you need to cross the river peacefully together." This old Chinese saying highlighted the importance of Sino-US relations.
During the first 100 days of Obama's presidency, President Obama and President Hu Jintao met in London; US secretary of state and Chinese foreign minister exchanged visits; and Sino-US military talks which were suspended at the end of last year due to US arms sales to Taiwan also resumed in late February this year.
Recently Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming paid a visit to the US. The China purchase group to the US will place orders worth over 10 billion US dollars, which will prove very helpful to the country's depressed economy.
Obama welcomed warming cross-Straits relations and deepening cross-Straits talks. It seems that the Taiwan issue has become less sensitive in Sino-US relations. All goes to prove that the Obama administration has given Sino-US relations a new start during its first 100 days in office.
Many senior officials are yet to be nominated and appointed in various US government institutions, and therefore many details of US policy towards China still remain to be decided: how to conduct comprehensive strategic and economic dialogues; how to combine China's responsibility in emissions reduction with US technology transfer to China; how to exchange views on the reform of the international financial supervisory system; and how to combine the economic stimulus plan with increased say for emerging economies in international financial institutions.
All these concerns need effort and honesty on both sides.
Obama's first 100 days have made a deep impression on people's minds. The new Democratic government is attempting to create a new vision for Sino-US relations – China and US should work together on more topics. Their cooperation should be raised from bilateral and regional levels to a global level.
More practical actions are needed to turn the vision into reality. Sino-US relations are important but complicated. President Obama still has a tough task ahead to actually get US and China aboard the same boat.
The author, Zhu Feng, is a professor with the School of International Studies of Peking University.
(China.org.cn translated by Zhang Ming'ai, May 8, 2009)
