China must prepare for US’ containment

An increasing number of Chinese international relations scholars believe that the US is shifting toward a containment strategy toward China. Such a shift has become irreversible and will pose unprecedented challenges to China’s rise.

They believe Washington’s trade war is just the beginning of its containment on Beijing, and Sino-US ties will see intensified tensions in the future, an outcome which is extremely hard for China to prevent.

We agree with the experts’ judgment and suggest that Chinese society should be prepared for major changes ahead in Sino-US ties. It is still necessary for China’s foreign ministry to put utmost efforts in maintaining the stability of Beijing-Washington relations and preventing tensions from escalation. But Chinese society should stick to the bottom line and dare to confront exterior challenges to China’s rise.

China has witnessed smooth development in the 40 years since the reform and opening up, and as a result, many Chinese anticipate that the country will continue with fast-speed growth until the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

However, Sino-US trade spats in the past few months remind us that twists and turns are unavoidable in China’s rise. Whether China can address these difficulties with confidence and steadiness will determine the outcome of its rise.

Firstly, Chinese society should maintain composed and cool-headed in the face of twists. China is the world’s second largest economy and its development is seeing an upward trend – this is the fundamental reason that the country is targeted by the US.

Secondly, China should be more confident and determined. The country has tried its utmost to prevent trade disputes from escalating. Moreover, given its scale and organizational skills, Chinese society has an unparalleled capability of diffusing and alleviating exterior impacts. With smooth development in the past few decades, China has had no chance to demonstrate its ability of adapting to adversity. A fullfledged trade war, if launched, may make Chinese people clearer about the importance of durability.

Thirdly, China should be broadminded. Sino-US trade tensions will inevitably expand to other fields. China should avoid proactively pushing forward such an expansion. China should safeguard its core interests on Taiwan and the South China Sea, strike counterblows to provocations without hesitation, but avoid turning countermeasures into a global contest with the US.

Fourthly, China should be persistent in its policies, an extraordinary advantage of China’s system. Washington’s shifted Beijing strategy is not a temporary decision. China should stick to principles, jointly shape the way the two countries deal with each other and hit at Washington’s arrogance if necessary.

With strong manufacturing capability and huge market potential, China’s development is difficult to suppress. But the country will encounter more barriers in future development, to which we should learn to adapt. While the Trump administration is anxious about gains and losses, Chinese people have unfaltering confidence in China’s future.