Sino-US interdependence viewed from three angles

A pair of most important and complicated bilateral relations in today's world, Sino-US relationship invariably presents a prospect full of contradiction and antinomy. A correct understanding of the current Sino-US relationship requires not only close follow-up tracing from the policy angle, but also effective explanations made from a theoretical high. Theoretical value lies in whether it is possible to draw a most central and crucial variable from numerous and changeable reality, thereby bringing people's subjective understanding close to the objective reality to the greatest extent.

In the face of the reality of the current Sino-US relationship, realism of the mainstream research method of international politics and neo-liberalism have, to different degrees, exposed theoretical "poverty" It is impossible for realism to explain the strategic constructive cooperative ties of China and the United States and the ever-closer interdependent ties of the two countries in the economic field. Neo-liberalism cannot shake off the "state centralist method characterized by wrapping oneself up in a cocoon". Since the 1990s, the development of China-US relationship has gone beyond the mode of inter-state ties, commodity, capital, technology, personnel and information exchanges that cross the Pacific Ocean have brought bilateral ties deep into the two societies and touched the daily life of each ordinary citizen, under such circumstances, a structural inter-dependent relationship has been formed between China and he United Sates. Understanding of such relations requires three basic theoretical visual angles:

First is economic globalization. The current China-US relationship is different from the US-Soviet ties during the era of Cold War and will not fall into the same old road of the rise of Germany and Japan in history. The most fundamental factor lies in the background of economic globalization. Economic globalization has changed the connotation, nature and gaming rules on China-US relationship, causing the transnational behavioral entity to go beyond national boundaries and forming a network of close interaction relations. Economic globalization will not automatically avert the contradictions and frictions between China and the United States, on the contrary, it will bring about more friction points. However, due to the interdependence between China and the United States, it is difficult for either side to sustain the cost of suspending bilateral normal economic and trading relations, this makes the mission of "containing China" become impossible.

Second is domestic politics. The distribution of the profits gained from interdependence between China and the United States among different domestic interest groups is unbalanced. Some industries, trades, social groups and even individuals benefit themselves, while other groups and individuals may suffer losses. Both the profit-making group and the group suffering losses will rise into action on the domestic political stage and will exert influence and pressure on national policies, this is especially noticeable in the United States. The influence exerted by US domestic political factors on Sino-US relationship has become increasingly evident in recent years. We can neither react radically like the shadow of a snake in the cup, nor can we fail to know the gains or losses and make unprincipled concession. In fact, the interest group in US domestic politics is a usable resource in diplomatic work.

Third is geographical strategy. In the foreseeable future, the drop in the stage of Sino-US economic and social development as well as international positions and the drop in foreign strategic focus have made it possible for the two countries to find out harmony in geographical strategy. As the overlord of the world, the United States needs China's cooperation in regional and global affairs; as a large regional country being devoted to economic development and the building of a well-off society, China needs a stable and prosperous international environment. Of course, the harmony of geographical strategy needs run-in through dialogs and inter-action, this is identical with China's requirement for "a period of 20-year strategic opportunity.

This article by Yu Wanli, deputy director of the foreign affairs office of the American Institute under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, on the 11th page of Global Times, August 19, is translated by People's Daily Online