Unraveling Sino-US relations

Bashing China has been one of the main features of the US presidential election campaign. Both candidates have promised to take "punitive" measures against China for one reason or the other if they are elected to the White House. But would they really do so? Or are US President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney playing to the gallery to score political points and garner votes?

Going by experience, the new US administration could get tougher with China. Since containing China is the most important foreign policy challenge for the US, Beijing should prepare for increased attacks from Washington in regional as well as global issues.

Given the complexity of Sino-American relations, the two countries can neither easily build strategic mutual trust, nor afford to openly confront each other. This means, the China-US relationship will go through ups and downs in the coming years. True, leaders of both countries agree that bilateral ties are of vital importance, but of "vital importance" also means "a lot of trouble".

Over the past 30 years, the increasingly close investment and trade relations between China and the US have hugely benefited both sides. Still, both countries face with challenges beyond what they had envisaged.

For the US, China is not only a huge investment destination and a fast growing consumer market, but also an adversary with growing national strength and a competitive threat in some areas. For China, utilizing US capital, technology and market for economic modernization and integration into the international community is a win-win approach. But because of the US' overwhelming influence, China's goal appeared blurred and even temporarily lost with no direction on how to deal with some problems.

No matter whether an issue is domestic or regional or global, a government cannot achieve its goal without paying a price. So it is important for the government to know its capabilities and proceeds step by step. History is replete with the rise and fall of countries and empires. China could be the latest addition to that list, and the US should accept the fact instead of trying to stop the flow of history and create frictions.

US politicians continue to blame China for many of their country's ills and thus thwart the development of mutually beneficial bilateral relations. Besides, they know that blaming China will not solve the US' problems. It may be true that electoral politics is forcing the US politicians to use China as a scapegoat to get public support. But how can they conclude that China's success is at the root of declining US competitiveness?