By Zheng Tao
As the world is going through profound changes unseen in a century, COVID-19 has emerged as a catalyst, reinforcing the ongoing trends and giving rise to instability and uncertainty in international dynamics. Humanity is grappling with the worst pandemic in a century. The world economy is in the deepest recession since the 1930s Great Depression. The international order has never been as seriously affected by unilateralism, protectionism and acts of bullying as it is today since the end of World War II. Some even surmised that the world has entered a dark moment, it is unable to go back to where it was, and that there is no future in sight.
Everything has two sides. COVID-19 has reminded the world in a hard way that the interests of all countries are closely interwoven, and that humankind shares a common stake. Indeed, the world is an indivisible community with a shared future. No country can insulate itself from global challenges. To overcome the current crisis, the international community must work together. To prevent future crises, global governance needs to be improved.
With great capability comes great responsibility. China and the United States are the largest developing country and developed country respectively and the two largest economies with 40 percent of the world’s total output. Both are permanent members of the UN Security Council with an important role in maintaining global peace, security and development.
The two countries worked together to fight terrorism in 2001, tackle the global financial crisis in 2008, contain the Ebola outbreak in 2014, and pull off the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2016. They gained a lot of successful experience in jointly dealing with common challenges. History has made it clear that China-US cooperation can make great things happen for both countries and the world.
For a period of time though, as the world struggles to fight COVID-19, restore the economy and protect livelihoods, a few US politicians have sought to shift the blame to China, pursue “decoupling” with China, and assemble an “anti-China Crusade”. Instead of solving the problems of the United States, these acts have only delayed their response to COVID-19 and hurt the world. Instead of holding back China’s development, these acts have only stoked tensions and resistance in the international community. Leaders of some countries have publicly called on the United States to stop assembling an “anti-China alliance” that goes against the will of others. People with vision in the United States have also spoken up against “two parallel worlds”.
When the new US administration takes over, China-US relations will come to a new starting point. The international community widely expects the new US administration to adjust its China policy and work with China on tough global challenges. Many in the strategic community suggest that the two countries start with global issues and gradually expand cooperation, so as to contribute wisdom and strength to the world and at the same time strengthen their relations.
President-elect Joe Biden believes that the United States is faced with historic crises such as COVID-19, economic recession and climate change. He has made them the priority of his administration. In fact, these issues are a microcosm of the global challenges that the United States cannot resolve on its own but needs to cooperate with China and the whole international community to address.
Another major issue before China and the United States is where humanity will go after the pandemic. Many compare today’s global crisis to the Great Depression, and no one wants to repeat the mistakes of the 1930s and 1940s. The choices and actions that the two countries make today will have a crucial impact on peace, stability and prosperity of the world in the years to come.
China and the United States are two major countries bound by a common future. How to contain the pandemic and step out of the recession as soon as possible? How to make the post-pandemic world better? How to maintain peace and stability in this volatile world? All this requires that China and the United States bear in mind the common interests of humankind, look beyond the changing landscape, cooperate with each other, and jointly shoulder their responsibility and mission as major countries of our times.
–The Daily Mail-China Daily News Exchange Item
