Crucial to get relations right

There will be no winner if Sino-US ties veer into conflict, confrontation and collision

President Xi Jinping pointed out that whether or not China and the United States can handle their relationship well has a bearing on the future of the world in a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden on Sept 10.Getting the relationship right is not optional, but something that must be done, and done well.

The US should reflect on President Xi's remarks, which are not just diplomatic talk but an call for action.

The development of human history follows its own rules. The national strength and global influence of the US peaked with the end of the Cold War. However, over-confidence led to it making the strategic mistake of launching two wars in succession, in Afghanistan and in Iraq, which have consumed much of its national strength. Coupled with a full-blown economic recession following the 2008 financial crisis, the strategic advantage of the US started to decline.

During the same period, China, by focusing on its own development－bolstering reform and opening its door wider to the outside world to better integrate with the global economy－has grown in strength.

For the majority of recorded history, in fact, China has been a strong country. It was not until the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the Western powers that China fell into backwardness. Following the shock of invasion and colonization, through the relentless hard work of its people, China has once again risen, which is an outcome of its civilization and socialism with Chinese characteristics.

However, on the assumption that "those who are not of our kind have different hearts", the US views China's development and rise as a threat. In the past, Western countries took the global lead in industrialization and became the dominant force in the international landscape. They now firmly believe that their values and systems are the best, even using power to impose those on the others. But history shows that the Western model is far from the only choice for the development of human society.

To start with, Western countries have been imposing their democratic system upon other countries, which only led to long-lasting political turmoil, economic standstill, difficulties in ensuring people's livelihoods, social disruption and poor security situations.

In fact, the Western system has encountered serious problems within their own countries as well. Since the turn of this century, Western countries, the US in particular, have been plagued by sluggish growth, while political polarization, the hollowing-out of the economy and social divides have become more serious.

China, on the other hand, has found another successful development pathway different from the Western model. After over 40 years of reform and opening-up, China's comprehensive national strength has increased and people's livelihoods have substantially improved, enabling it to make greater contributions to the world's development and get worldwide acclaim. China's success has proven that there are other development paths besides that of the West.

Viewing China as its primary strategic competitor for global leadership, the US is going all out to suppress and contain its rise. It has launched a furious domestic campaign to blame its own political, security, economic and technological setbacks on China. The most typical example is the US scapegoating of China for its own grave mistakes in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The development of all things is affected by both internal and external factors, with the former being the foundation for the development of things and the latter being the condition for such development. The internal cause of the US' waning strength and strategic advantage is that its system and governance model are not working effectively. For instance, political polarization and conflict between the parties are the inevitable outcome of the downside of the US-style democratic system, as mobilizing resources, people and public opinion, or even fake news and stigmatization, have become the major means of winning elections.

Another example would be the hollowing-out of the US economy. Under the capitalist system and free economy, US businesses have transferred their operations to foreign countries where the production costs are lower and the cost-effectiveness of investment is higher, not to mention the two wars it waged in Afghanistan and in Iraq against the will of the international community, which dealt a heavy blow to its economy.

Domestically, the US is shifting it own responsibilities for its shortcomings onto China, transferring contradictions and consolidating power; internationally, it is trying to rally its allies and partners to jointly suppress and contain China's rise. If the US continues to scapegoat China for its own failures and focuses its energy on suppressing China instead of solving its own problems, it is bound to further decline.

In a nutshell, mutually beneficial cooperation is the right direction for Sino-US ties. The world's two major powers have the greatest influence on the global landscape and international order, and therefore should shoulder their responsibilities to tackle the common challenges faced by humanity. If Sino-US relations veer into conflict, confrontation and collision, the world will be threatened by division, turmoil, crisis, even war. All countries will be greatly hurt and there will be no winners.

It's neither ethical nor realistic for the US to maintain its hegemony in the world by suppressing and containing China's rise. Furthermore, it will hurt its own interests, as evidenced by the US-launched trade war and its bid to suppress China's tech companies. If the US is willing to change its thinking and cooperate with China, it will gain significant growth and enhance its national strength with China's strong production capacity, enormous market and development potential, greatly safeguarding the US position and interests in the new global landscape.

The author is deputy director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn