From Zhang Guanghao
“By setting sail together, we could ride the wind, break the waves, and brave the journey of ten thousand miles.” This quotation from a Chinese poem stresses the importance of unity and collaboration. With combined efforts, we can overcome challenges, and with cooperation and solidarity, success is certain.
China and the United States are the world’s two largest economies. Their policies and decisions in trade, politics, technology, climate, education, and many other sectors have a far-reaching effect worldwide. As the world faces challenges such as climate change, widespread poverty and inequality, regional conflicts, food insecurity, and economic instability, a stable and cooperative China-US relationship is much needed.
However, over the past years, the US has treated China as a strategic rival instead of a partner or friend. Economically, the US launched a trade war with China and imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods. Politically, the US continued to boost alliances with countries like Japan and Australia to deter China’s development. In science and technology, the US imposed sanctions and restrictions on Chinese tech companies and limited tech product exports to China.
Has the United States achieved its goals with these hostile measures? Absolutely not. China’s economy and foreign trade have continued to grow. Last year, China’s foreign trade reached a record 43 trillion yuan, up five percent. China’s relations with many countries have strengthened, and its global influence is growing across various sectors. China has kept making scientific breakthroughs in areas like semiconductors and space exploration.
On the contrary, changing administrations have created uncertainty about the consistency of the US policy and led to skepticism about US reliability. The US involvement in regional conflicts caused a loss of confidence in the US role in global security. US economic sanctions disrupted normal economic activities. It affected other countries’ economies and limited US companies’ market opportunities. Possible secondary sanctions also threatened US businesses, causing trade disruptions.
Domestically, the United States faces problems such as high inflation, aging infrastructure, and high energy prices. Fires across the Los Angeles area in early January killed dozens of people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures. It’s seen as the most destructive wildfire in the state’s history. In comparison, after several forest fires broke out in the mountains around Chongqing in southwest China in 2022, it took only days to put them out.
Emergency response is one of the many areas in which the United States and China can cooperate. Cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, infrastructure, carbon emissions, clean energy, biodiversity, and supply chains will benefit both sides and other countries and regions worldwide.
As Donald Trump’s new administration is officially beginning, it’s crucial for the US to make prudent and responsible policies and decisions regarding China. A more stable and cooperative relationship between the two countries will brighten humanity’s future. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
