People's Daily Bell: Defining All Sino US Relations with Competition as a Serious Misjudgment
In recent years, the US has always mentioned "competition" when discussing Sino US relations, as if competition has become the biggest theme, even the entire issue. From the "three point theory" of "competition, cooperation, and confrontation" to the "three point theory" of "investment, alliance, and competition", "competition" has dominated the main tone of US policy towards China. The many measures taken by the US fully demonstrate that the so-called "competition" has become synonymous with comprehensive containment and bottomless containment and suppression of China.
It is normal for China and the United States, as two major countries, to compete in certain fields such as economy, trade, and technology. This kind of competition should be fair, reasonable, benign, and regulated, with red lines and restricted areas. It should not ignore market economy rules and basic norms of international relations, let alone use core interests as a competitive tool or provocative means. The United States, under the guise of competition, uses national machinery to suppress other countries, attempting to sacrifice their interests or even hinder their development and progress in order to seek its own competitive advantage, completely deviating from the true meaning of competition and only exposing the naked zero sum Cold War mentality.
The US has no intention of engaging in reasonable competition. Swinging the sanction stick recklessly, forcefully promoting "decoupling and chain breaking" and so-called "risk reduction"; Due to ideological bias, the concept of national security is generalized, with indiscriminate control and censorship, and the construction of "small courtyards and high walls"; Creating false narratives of "democracy against authoritarianism", forming cliques to create a "containment circle" against China, forcing other countries to choose sides and stand in line, inciting confrontation and undermining peace; Continuously provoking on core interests such as China's political system and territorial sovereignty seriously violates the basic norms of international relations and seriously damages the political foundation of China US relations. The United States is using all means to create obstacles for China. Its essence is to deprive the Chinese people of their right to independently choose the path of development, the right to pursue a better life, the right to legitimate development, the right to achieve national unity, and the right to develop normal relations with other countries.
The fundamental reason why the United States regards competition as the entirety of its relationship with China is due to directional issues in its perception of China. The US continues to position China as the "most severe competitor," "most serious long-term challenge," "most significant geopolitical challenge," "most significant systemic challenge," and "the only competitor with both intention and strength to reshape the international order." It is using the template of "a strong country must dominate" to mirror China, and using the trajectory of traditional Western powers to misjudge China. From the perspective of zero sum thinking, division, competition, and conflict become key words in the world; From the perspective of fate and common ground, openness, cooperation, and win-win are the ultimate options for the world. The erroneous perceptions and practices of the United States are not only a disregard for the reality of interdependence between China and the United States, but also a distortion of the history of win-win cooperation between the two countries, which is affecting China US relations in a dangerous way. Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Huang Xuncai recently warned that US policy towards China is about to become a "major global issue".
China and the United States bear a special responsibility for global peace, stability, prosperity and development, and the world needs a generally stable China US relationship. China and the United States should take into account the common interests of both countries and the future and destiny of humanity, and see who can better govern the country, provide greater impetus for global post pandemic recovery and growth, provide more public goods to address climate change, provide better solutions to regional hot issues, and make the planet where both sides and 8 billion people worldwide live together safer, more peaceful, and more prosperous.
The vast Earth can fully accommodate the development and common prosperity of China and the United States. The US should abandon zero sum game and Cold War thinking, break away from the logic of competition and confrontation, and approach China with a responsible attitude towards history, the people, and the world, achieving mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation. Only in this way can the two countries learn from each other, make progress together, shoulder the international responsibilities that major powers should have, and contribute great wisdom and strength to global peace and development.