Time for US to view China on an equal footing: Chinese Vice FM
Desperate for a diplomatic breakthrough in the face of a troubled domestic situation, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga achieved his goal of becoming the first foreign leader to be hosted by new US President Joe Biden at the White House. The two sides launched “a CoRe partnership” according to a joint statement, showing the world how close the two countries are and what issues they will work together on.
In a series of pivotal geopolitical topics, Suga gained endorsement from the Biden administration. The two leaders pointed fingers at China’s internal affairs by referring to the “importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits,” the first such reference to the island of Taiwan in a joint statement by leaders of the US and Japan since 1969.
However, it is noticeable that the Suga administration seemed to want to distance itself from the US, with subtle divergences manifested on issues related to China that are not so close to Japan’s own interests.
The Chinese foreign ministry hit back at the joint statement, vowing to take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development rights. Chinese Vice Minister Le Yucheng also rebuked the misunderstandings and accusations on China about issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and expounded the country’s core stances on the Taiwan question in an interview with the Associated Press on Friday.
Le stated: “No country is superior to others and in the
position to act in a domineering way. China views all other countries as equals and we don’t look up or down on others. We view others on an equal footing.” Chinese experts stressed that it is time for the US to view China on an equal footing and realize that China could be its partner in various fields instead of an enemy.
Calls for China- US relations to get back on track have been getting louder among scholars and diplomats from both China and the US. Especially as this year marks the 50th anniversary of Ping- Pong diplomacy, many expect signs of whether something similar to Ping- Pong diplomacy could be found to break the ice for the world’s most important bilateral relations, and the commitment to work together on the climate crisis may be one sign.
All for itself
One of the greatest breakthroughs for Suga’s visit was to reach a consensus with the US on launching a new competitiveness and resilience ( CoRe) partnership based on their “shared security and prosperity.” Biden and Suga demonstrated their “intimacy” at the press conference with video online showing Biden patted Suga’s back softly after the conference was over.
China obviously topped the agenda at their meeting. In the statement, Biden reiterated opposition to China’s “unlawful maritime claims and activities in the South China Sea” and stressed serious concerns regarding the human rights situations in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Japan is facing great pressure from its neighbors in the region, including China, South Korea and Russia, for its decision to dump radioactive wastewater from Fukushima power plant into the Pacific Ocean. The US, by tolerating Japan’s irresponsible act, could effectively force Japan to serve the US’ hegemonic strategy, Lü Xiang, an expert on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. “Washington is happy to see Tokyo isolated in Asia, as Japan will have no choice but to stand closer with the US to offend China.”
“The US and Japan have their own plans. The US fears that after China resolves the Taiwan question, it may lose an important link in what it calls its alliance system to contain China. As the US is feeling increasingly powerless in the face of China’s rise, it hopes Japan will join hands with it in dealing with China,” said Wang Yiwei, director of the institute of international affairs at the Renmin University of China.
Ties on an equal footing
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le said in the AP interview that “mutual respect and treating each other as equals are very important. In the big family of nations, all countries stand as equals. No country is superior to others and in the position to act in a domineering way.”
Jin Canrong, associate dean of Renmin University of China’s School of International Studies in Beijing, said that through exchanges with some US strategists in the past, “we have learnt that in the hegemonic logic of the US, asking for equality from the US is not only seen as a mistake, but also a crime.”
The only way forward is for China to prove it is unbreakable and undefeatable, and then force the US to accept a real equal and peaceful coexistence, he told the Global Times on Sunday.