The vast Pacific Ocean can no longer separate the people of China and the US. The link between them is unprecedentedly close and the world expectations for the Sino- US partnership are unprec-edentedly strong.
“We are working to build the world, not to shake it,” said Henry Kissinger during Chinese President Hu Jintao’s US visit last week. The former US Secretary of State expressed hopes of a new chapter in Sino- US relations with his profound sense of history on his visit to China with then-President Richard Nixon in 1972.
A new situation in Sino-US relations comes from the correct strategic choice of the leaders of the two countries, and it is also the result of historic accumulation and continuous efforts over time.
With any of the above absent, today’s Sino-US relations wouldn’t exist. Any actions intended to hinder the development of Sino-US relations go against the historical trend.
Indeed, the logic of historical development and current international relations theory cannot fully explain why China and the US can have mutual cooperation and common development. Sino-US relations are breaking the “uncertainty” cycle and creating a great innovation in the history of international relations.
It is the first time in human history that two powers – a current power and a rising power – are linked together by common interests and interdependence, said Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Adviser to then-US President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s, who personally witnessed the development of Sino-US relations.
China and the US are in different stages of industrialization and modernization and there are broad prospects for bilateral cooperation in economy and trade.
China’s modernization will surely propel and promote the development of the US economy. And the stable development of Sino-US relations benefits the two countries. Cherishing Sino-US relations is the best safeguard for the interests of both countries.
The understanding of Sino- US relations today should have a broader global perspective. The world is focusing on the development of Sino-US relations, hoping the steady Sino- US relations can improve the world economy, so that more countries can benefit.
But it should be noted that the forecasting of the direction of Sino-US relations by different countries is complex and diverse.
Some countries even worry that if China and the US confront each other, they will be forced to stand in different camps.
In order to reduce such concerns, both China and the US should consider the overall situation and maintain their partnership, giving no chance to the plotters that wants to profit from the Cold War mentality.
At present, the overall Sino- US relations has maintained a positive momentum of development. It should be noted that Sino-US relations inevitably has conflicts and differences.
Over the years, Sino-US relations have had a twisted development path.
Sino-US relations are interfered with by a number of old rules from time to time, suffering from the cyclical impact of domestic US pressures. With the development of Sino-US relations, Sino-US cooperation will become increasingly close at all levels and the harm caused by this impact cannot be ignored.
Sino-US comprehensive and multi-level links are becoming increasingly widespread and a single problem will not lead to a comprehensive break.
But a possible problem is that if even a small screw in this complex machine is damaged, there will be significant losses. Therefore, it requires care from both sides.
The future development of Sino-US relations will be decided by whether both coun-tries can live in harmony, how the two countries solve problems by deepening Sino-US cooperation, how to prove that China and the US can become partners with mutual respect and mutual benefits and how to make Sino-US relations help the people of both countries.
The author is a commentator with the People’s Daily. forum@ gloabltimes.com.cn