BEIJING, June 20-- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his two-day China visit Monday. But it will take far more than one visit to get China-U.S. relations back on track.
Here are three R words that Washington should remember: rationality, responsibility and results.
First of all, Washington should return to rationality in how it views China's development.
The root cause for the downward spiral of China-U.S. relations is Washington's misperceptions toward China, which have led to misguided China policies.
Whether Washington is willing to accept it or not, China's development and rejuvenation are an inevitable trend. The Chinese, like the Americans, have the right to pursue a better life. The common interests of the two countries should be valued, and their respective success is an opportunity instead of a threat to each other.
Washington should avoid viewing its relations with China through the lens of competition, which does not represent the trend of the times, still less can it solve America's own problems or the challenges facing the world.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping said at his meeting with Blinken, China respects U.S. interests and does not seek to challenge or displace the United States, and in the same vein, the United States needs to respect China and must not hurt China's legitimate rights and interests. "Neither side should try to shape the other side by its own will, still less deprive the other side of its legitimate right to development."
Second, responsibility.
As the world's two largest economies, the United States and China should handle relations in a responsible way that serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and meets the shared expectations of the international community.
The world needs a stable and sound China-U.S. relationship. Whether the two countries can find the right way to get along bears on the future and destiny of humanity. Washington's hegemonic behaviors of containing China have aroused mounting concerns around the world.
The world does not want to see conflict or confrontation between China and the United States or choose sides between them. It expects the two countries to coexist in peace and have friendly and cooperative relations.
Both countries should act with a sense of responsibility for history, for the people and for the world, and handle bilateral relations properly.
Last but not least, results matter the most. It is necessary that Washington's promises and words yield fruits.
Washington needs to take cognizance of the fact that talk for the sake of talk will do little to remove the obstacles in the path of a sound relationship. It should also be aware that Beijing will not buy its double-dealing ploy of seeking cooperation and communication while containing China in the name of "competition."
Currently, the critical task is to follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and translate the positive statements into actions.
Specifically, Washington should stop playing up the so-called "China threat," lift illegal unilateral sanctions against China, stop suppressing China's scientific and technological advances, and not wantonly interfere in China's internal affairs.
In a recent interview with media, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger expressed concerns over the current China-U.S. relations. He warned that U.S. foreign policy must balance American and foreign interests or the nation "will become isolated."
