Prejudice needs to be abandoned for real conversation and cooperation

Note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language "Commentaries on International Affairs."

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s major policy speech on China made at the Wilson Center on Thursday was basically cliché when he played up the role of the United States in China’s development and made groundless accusations against China. But he also sent out a signal that Washington seeks dialogue and cooperation with Beijing, toning down the rhetoric when compared with the China policy address he made a year ago.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks on the future of U.S.-China relations at the Wilson Center's inaugural Frederic V. Malek Public Service Leadership lecture, in Washington, DC, on October 24, 2019. [Photo: AFP]

The “U.S. rebuilt China” claim touted by Pence a year ago was again mentioned by the U.S. vice president, who seems to be ignoring the fact that bilateral trade is mutually beneficial. Over the past 40 years, China and the United States have become each other’s most important trading partners and investors, both benefiting greatly from cooperation. According to the US-China Business Council report, between 2009 and 2018, U.S. exports to China helped create more than 1.1 million jobs. On the other hand, U.S. capital, technology and markets have greatly helped China in economic development and improving Chinese people's livelihoods. But the deep, underlying reasons for China's success lies in the country’s reform and opening up policy as well as the hard work of the Chinese people. Attributing China’s great transformation to the United States only reflects the vice president’s lack of historical knowledge and disregard of reality.

Pence also attacked China’s Xinjiang policy, which he said suppressed human rights and freedom of religion. But the truth is the government is taking measures to safeguard social stability, as well as to combat and deter terrorists. These efforts are the greatest defense of human rights in the Xinjiang region. Xinjiang has 24,400 mosques or one for every 530 Muslims on average. Freedom of religion is fully protected and respected. It should be pointed out that the Chinese Constitution guarantees citizens full freedom of religious belief, but at the same time it does not allow anyone to use religion to undermine social order, harm the health of citizens, or hinder the national education system. That’s a legitimate practice of any country ruled by law.

In terms of the Hong Kong issue, the recent extreme violence in the Chinese city has gone way beyond freedom of speech and peaceful demonstrations. There has been a blatant challenge to the rule of law in Hong Kong, the "one country, two systems" principle, and the authority of the central government. No sovereign country would tolerate behaviors like those seen in Hong Kong. The city’s police have shown great restraint in handling the violence in accordance with the law. Their aim is to maintain social stability and defend the dignity of a society ruled by law. But Pence turned a blind eye to what’s really happening in Hong Kong, expressing support for the violent forces in the city in his address made on Thursday. That is blatant interference in China's internal affairs and comes in violation of the basic principles of international law and norms governing international relations.

Another aspect worth mentioning in the U.S. vice president’s speech is that the United States is not seeking to de-couple from China. That statement is consistent with what some U.S. officials said at the Xiangshan Forum, a regional security dialogue held recently in Beijing. It shows that sensibility has returned to the mainstream of Washington on Sino-U.S. relations. But while saying President Trump has faith in making a trade deal with China, Pence also associated the trade issue with Hong Kong and accused China of“de-coupling” from the wider world for decades. That’s quite an unwise accusation. The World Bank has put China in 31st place on its latest "ease of doing business" ranking, 15 spots higher than last year. And that provides evidence of how open and closely linked to the world China is.

But what needs to be pointed out is that the U.S. vice president unleashed some positive signals by stating the U.S. readiness and willingness to start what he called a new future with China. As both countries have made substantial progress in their latest trade negotiations, Pence’s statement in this regard may help both sides come closer to a settlement.

As the China-U.S. economic and trade consultations come to a crucial stage, it is important for both sides to have dialogue on the basis of equality and mutual respect and spend more effort in seeking common ground and meet each other half way so that the two countries can reach an agreement that’s mutually beneficial and in the interests of the whole world.