China has heard these US cries before
The China-US diplomatic interaction appears to be following a set pattern: The US complains a lot about China's "manipulation" of currency, "unfair" treatment of US multinationals and, as always, China's "deteriorating" human rights record. Yet China keeps to its agenda and walks its own path to grow and improve.
Before cabinet-level officials of the two countries meet today in Washington for the annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue, the US media and government officials have been drumming up the same issues in obvious attempts to coax and pressure China to give in.
It is not as if China has been deliberately trying to defy comments or suggestions that the US has raised. Notice has been taken of all the complaints and demands. But China cannot and will not simply follow US instructions. It will act in its own interest and at its own pace.
In the currency issue, for example, China has been adjusting the renminbi's value gradually, which is far from the speed and extent the US expects.
It is like a floodgate. China has absolute control of the floodgate. How much water should be released and when is for China to decide. What the US wants is a hand in controlling the floodgate, whereby every move will be based on their likes or dislikes.
Now, there can never be two keys to open or lock the gate, as China will definitely put its national interests ahead of everything else.
We hope the US becomes a "reasonable" country: When its politicians raise any issue, they consider China's situation and difficulties, not solely their own interests.
However, that will not happen. Each government is dedicated to the interests of its country. US politicians have no obligation to do something that benefits China more than their own country.
As China's economy grows and its international role becomes more prominent, its confidence to deal with disagreements between the two powers is increasing. The US is growing more impatient and, at times, hysterical, while China is quietly taking steps to deal with difficult issues.
There is no doubt that the US is the most powerful country in the world, and how it has come to occupy this position and kept up its momentum is a matter of continuing attraction to Chinese leaders and intellectuals.
China can learn from US schemes and experiences, but the architecture China is going to build has to be its own. A blind copy will never work better than what is created after careful exploration to meet China's specific condition.
Despite numerous disputes related to ideology, trade and geopolitical issues, the China-US relationship is headed in the right direction. The two powers have avoided a head-on confrontation like that between the US and the former Soviet Union.
There is a long list of areas for possible cooperation between the two countries. Besides raising strictly relevant issues and striving to resolve problems, the two countries would do well to keep the focus on the business at hand and avoid distractions dictated by domestic politics.
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