CuiTiankaiisamemberoftheNationalCommitteeoftheChinesePeople’sPoliticalConsultativeConference(CPPCC)andChineseAmbassadortotheUnitedStates.HegaveChinaTodayaninterviewonMarch4onthesidelinesofChina’sNPCandCPPCC,knownasthe“twosessions.”Cuireiteratedthefundamentalconsensusreachedbytheleadersofthetwonationsthat:“China-U.S.cooperationwouldbebeneficialtobothcountriesandtotheworld,whileconfrontationwouldbedisastrous.”
SoundandStableRelations–aMutualResponsibility
ChinesePresidentXiJinpingandU.S.PresidentDonaldTrumphavesofarhadtwotelephoneconversations.InthelatestonePresidentXicommendedTrumpforagreeingtoexpandChina-U.S.cooperation,thusfosteringconstructivebilateralrelationswhicharebeneficialtothemandtotheinternationalcommunityasawhole.Trump,meanwhile,confirmedthattheU.S.governmentcoherestotheone-Chinapolicy.Thetwoheadsofstatepromisedtomaintaincloseties,andbothanticipateanofficialmeetingbeforelong.
“Thetwoleadersreachingaconsensusonestablishingpowerfulbilateralrelationswhichbenefitthepeoplesofbothnationsandcontributetoworldpeaceandstability.ItisapositivesignalfromthegovernmentsofChinaandtheU.S.tothewholeworld,”ChineseAmbassadorCuisaid.“IamverygladtoseethetwoleadersachievesuchaconsensusatthisearlystageofPresidentTrump’sterminoffice,”headded.
“Non-conflict,non-confrontation,mutualrespect,andwin-wincooperation”–theprinciplesofanewmodelofmajor-countryrelationshipbetweenChinaandtheUnitedStates–constitutethefruitsofthreelongconversationsbetweenChinesePresidentXiandthethenU.S.PresidentObama.Thefirstwasin2013atSunnylandsinRanchoMirage,California,thesecondin2014atZhongnanhaiinBeijing,andthelastonewasin2015attheWhiteHouseinWashington.
AmbassadorCuireflectedonthehistoricaleventssinceformerU.S.PresidentNixon’sfirstvisittoChinaover40yearsago.ThetwocountrieshavesincegonetogreatlengthstodiscussanddefineChina-U.S.bilateralrelations.TheinternationalenvironmentandnationalconditionsofChinaandtheU.S.haveundergoneprofoundchanges–mostnotablytheendoftheColdWar,theglobalfinancialcrisis,andtheonsetofterrorism,climatechange,andfrequentepidemicsofcommunicablediseases.YetChina-U.S.relationshaveabsorbedandovercomealldifficultiesandcontinuedtoadvance.
AmbassadorCuibelievesthatthisisattributabletothegreatimportancewhichseveralgenerationsoftheleadersofbothcountrieshaveattachedtobilateralties,andtotheirconsistentconsensusonmaintainingsoundandstablerelations.China’spioneeringleaders–ChairmanMaoZedongandPremierZhouEnlai–throughtothecurrentChinesePresidentXiJinping,andsuccessiveU.S.presidentssincetheestablishmentofdiplomaticrelationsbetweenChinaandtheU.S.,DemocratandRepublic,haveindeedupheldsoundandstableChina-U.S.relations.
“Thisprimarilyaccordswithourrespectiveinterests,becausesoundandstablerelationsareofbenefittousboth;meanwhileitistheglobalresponsibilityofthesetwomajorcountries,”AmbassadorCuisaid.“Itwouldbedisastrousforthetwocountriesandfortheworldasawholeifbilateralrelationsweretofailorbechallengedbyconflictorconfrontation.Thisissomethingallconcernedseektoavoid.”
DifferencesAreunderControl
AmbassadorCuirecalledhowoverthepast40yearsbilateralrelationshaveencounteredmultipledifficultiesandchallenges.HowmaythenewmodelofmajorcountryrelationshipbetweenChinaandtheUnitedStatesbebestdefined?Theprinciplesof“non-conflict,non-confrontation,mutualrespect,andwin-wincooperation”haveevolvedintoaconsensusbetweenthetwocountries.Yearsofpracticestandtestamenttoitsimportancetothemboth.“Ifwecouldinsistontheseprinciples,China-U.S.relationscouldnotfailtomaintainasoundandstabledirection,”Cuisaid.
WhentalkingabouthowtohealtheSouthChinaSeabreach,AmbassadorCuiobservedthattherearemisperceptionsintheU.S.andelsewhereaboutChina’spolicyandintentionsinthisarea.WhatshouldbeclarifiedisthattheissuesintheSouthChinaSearevolvearoundterritorialandmaritimejurisdictionbetweenChinaandnearbycountries.Althoughthesedisputesarerelativelyrecentandthereasonsfortoday’ssituationssomewhatcomplicated,wenowacknowledgetheexistenceofdisputesabouttheterritorialandmaritimejurisdictionofthisregion.
However,ChinaandASEANcountrieshavereachedaCodeofConduct(COC)intheSouthChinaSeawhichclearlystatesthatthedisputesmustberesolveddirectlyamongtherelevantclaimantstates,andthroughpeacefulandfriendlynegotiationratherthanconflictorconfrontation.Thishasbeenthedesireddirectionandpurposeofgreateffortsonourpartfordecades.
“Inthatsense,sincetheU.S.hasnoterritorialclaiminthisregion,theSouthChinaSeawasnotoriginallyanissuebetweenChinaandtheUnitedStates.”AmbassadorCuiconcluded,therefore,thattheSouthChinaSeashouldnotbeaproblembetweenChinaandtheU.S.
Astothemaliciousspeculationsofahandfulofpeople,AmbassadorCui’sadvicetothemisnottoallowaterritorialdisputeinaspecificregionsnowballintothecompletelydifferentambitofglobalstrategiccompetitionbetweenChinaandtheU.S.“Aslongastherearenomisinterpretationsormiscalculations,ourdifferencesremainundercontrol.”
“TheconceptoffreedomofnavigationisfrequentlyusedtojustifyU.S.actionsintheSouthChinaSea.Chinaisgreatlyconcernedaboutfreedomandsafetyofnavigation,becauseChina’soutboundeconomyisitslifeblood,”AmbassadorCuisaid.“Chinaisnowamajortradingnation,andmostofitscargoessailontheSouthChinaSea.Apeacefulandstableenvironmentandfreedomofnavigation,therefore,accordwithChina’sinterests,andremainourstanceonthematter,”Cuisaid.
“MakeAmericaGreatAgain”Compatiblewiththe“ChineseDream”
Theyear2017bringsnewopportunitiesforChina-U.S.relations,butalsosomeuncertainties.ThenewUnitedStatesadministrationhasonlyrecentlytakenoffice,andthe19thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChinawillconvenethisfall.Bothcountriesthusbearthegreatburdenofnationaldevelopment,andalsofacecertainchallenges.
“Thepeople’swishforagoodlifeshowsusthedirectionofourendeavors.”Itwasthisstatement,atthepressconferenceafterthefirstPlenarySessionofthe18thCPCNationalCongressin2012,byGeneralSecretaryoftheCPCCentralCommitteeXiJinpingthatmostimpressedAmbassadorCui.
Atthe18thNationalCongresstheCPCissuedacallforachievingtheTwoCentennialGoals:buildingamoderatelywell-offsocietyandacceleratingsocialistmodernization.“ChinahasarrivedatthedecisivestageofrealizingitsfirstCentennialGoal.Ourcurrenteffortswilldeterminewhetherthatgoalcanbeachievedontime,andtoalargeextenttheprocessofthesecondCentennialGoal.ThereisnodoubtthatChinafacesamajoropportunitybutalsovariouschallenges,”AmbassadorCuisaid.
AmbassadorCuibelievesthattheprimaryandfundamentalchallengestoallnationsoftheworld,namely,ensuringthequalityofthecountry’sgovernance,thehealthydevelopmentofitseconomy,thestabilityofitssociety,andthehappinessofitspeople,arerootedintheircivilsociety.“TheChinesegovernmentanditsrulingpartyhavealwaysregardedthepeople’swell-beingasacorevalueandmaininterest,”Cuisaid.
AmbassadorCuiobservedthattheAmericanpeoplehavealsomadetheirdemandsforabetterlife,andaredesperatelyappealingtotheirgovernmentforaresponse.TheprimarytaskoftheChineseandAmericangovernments,aswellasthoseofothernationsoftheworld,therefore,iswithoutdoubttofulfillthedemandsofthepeopleandmaketheirlivesbetter.
Ifthetwocountriescouldcooperate,itwouldsurelycontributetotherealizationoftheirrespectivedomesticgoals.Ifnot,chaoscouldensueintheworldwhichwouldexertnegativeimpactonbothnations’developmentgoals.
Againstthebackdropofglobalization,eachnationisconnected.Noonecouldsinglyseekdevelopmentwhileotherswallowindepressionandchaos.AchievingrejuvenationisthedreamoftheChinesepeople,whilemakingAmericagreatagainisthedreamoftheAmericanpeople.Theyshouldjoinhandsinseekingwin-wincooperationandsorealizeoneanother’sdreams.