Time for China, US to lay positions on table
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Today, China is disappointed, dissatisfied and confused by the series of hard-line policies against China in the second year of the Obama administration. China is worried that this is a sign of a current or future major reversal in US policy and strategy toward China.
The US is also surprised and troubled by China's stance on some bilateral and international issues, worrying that China will become even tougher in bilateral relations following China's rapid rise in national power.
Moreover, the impacts of financial crisis and worries about the US decline have deepened the US concerns. Hu's visit provides a chance for bilateral leaders to talk frankly and deeply about some basic issues in the relationship between the two nations.
Although this communication cannot eliminate bilateral differences on many issues, it could help to reduce concerns and misjudgment and create a more positive attitude.
Hu's visit should re-establish the pragmatic tone of the Sino-US cooperation and outline the road map for the development of bilateral relations in the next two years. It should be made clear the basic tone of Sino-US relations is cooperation rather than competition or confrontation.
The road map should reflect reciprocity and feasibility. Reciprocity means the road map should reflect bilateral aspirations rather than unilateral wishes. Feasibility means there are good objective and subjective conditions for these aims and the chance of success is relatively large.
Finally, the consensus reached by Hu and Obama can unify internal decision-making.
In 2010,when violent bilateral frictions took place, observers started to focus on the internal decision-making processes in the two countries.
China has the so-called hard-liners and pragmatic group while the US has the so-called kowtow group and the despair faction. Although this analysis may not be quite true, their impacts on policy cannot be ignored.
After the talks between Hu and Obama, their political wish and consensus in developing Sino-US relations will become the basis of their own internal policy concept and behaviors, which will help to reduce interference from both inside and outside the systems and reduce the internal friction that influences bilateral relations.
The author is the deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University. forum@globaltimes.com.cn
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