US-China competition should not lead to confrontation

Africa China Review Staff writer

The US and China are the two leading world economies. Naturally, the two economies are in competition for markets and raw material in other parts of the world. Such competition should be healthy free of quarrels, politicking and undermining each other.  The market forces should be left to play there part and consumers make their informed choices on the products they need.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. The world is watching a new cold war that has been on between the two countries which is counterproductive and absurd. The two largest economies should instead lead the world to a new world order based on rule based principles for the benefit of the entire global community. The rest of the world should learn from US and China the principle of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect rather than constant confrontation.  

The recent telephone conversation between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping should be hailed as a good step in the right direction to engage in finding solutions on outstanding disputes related to both on commercial and political issues.

During the telephone conversation, the Chinese President mentioned to his counterpart, that, “for some time, due to the US policy on China, the China-US relationship has run into serious difficulty, ” and that the relationship “is not a multiple-answer question of whether we should have good relations, but a compulsory question of how, ” according to media reports.

The US Policy towards other countries not only China, seem to be run on unequal engagement where the US assumes a superior position. Douglas Barry, a senior director of communications and publications at the US-China Business Council, commented on the telephone conversation and told media that, “It’s essential that the two leaders speak often and use their long personal relationship to resolve commercial and other disputes,” He further said that,  “the current impasse will not be resolved without their involvement. And there needs to be engagement at many technical levels and more participation of the business communities.”

In late August, during his welcome speech, the new Chinese Ambassador to the US H.E Qin Gang noted that China and the United States “should not go for misunderstanding, misjudgment, conflict or confrontation.” Ambassador Qin observed that, “We should not miss historical opportunities. More importantly, we should not make historical mistakes. Instead, we need to face up to the reality and trend of the times, return to rationality, take a responsible attitude to history, to the two peoples and to the world, and keep to the right direction of China-US relations. “He further said that the two countries with different political systems, cultures and development stages, must find a way to get along in peace based on mutual respect.

 When Chinese Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Xie Feng met with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, in July, Mr. Feng pointed out that,   “US policy seems to be demanding cooperation when it wants something from China; decoupling, cutting off supplies, blockading or sanctioning China when it believes it has an advantage; and resorting to conflict and confrontation at all costs.” He also clarified that for US and China to have productive engagements there are three things that form the bottom line.

“The first bottom line is that the US must not challenge, slander or attempt to subvert the path and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The second is that the US must not attempt to obstruct or interrupt China’s development process. The third is that the US must not infringe upon China’s sovereignty or damage its territorial integrity.” The demands sounded like a tough test for the US since its foreign policy towards China is basically hinged on the three issues.

It is possible for the two big economies to work together and engage regularly to solve their differences without resorting to confrontation or slander. The rise of China should not be seen as a source of scare on the US. China’s rise should be seen in larger picture of global cooperation and peaceful coexistence.  China has not been at war in any country in modern times. The world should make love not war.

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