WHAT IF CHINA AND THE US ACTUALLY GOT ALONG?
Following the tip of the battle of resistance in opposition to Japanese aggression in 1945, Chiang Kai-shek, head of the KMT-led nationalist authorities, invited Mao, head of the Communist forces, to the wartime capital of Chongqing to debate China’s future and the connection between the 2 rival events.
Beneath the auspices of the US and inspired by the then Soviet Union, Mao flew to Chongqing for 43 days of talks, referred to as the Chongqing Negotiations, which led to a peace pact referred to as the Double Tenth Settlement. Though the 2 long-time enemies didn’t honour the settlement and the civil battle resumed, ending in Communist victory and the founding of the Folks’s Republic in 1949, Mao conveyed a picture of an affordable man in search of peace within the eyes of the worldwide neighborhood.
Now, the US-China relationship is at a important crossroads, with each international locations confronting one another on points starting from commerce and expertise to house, Taiwan, Hong Kong and human rights. Amid mounting considerations that the bilateral relationship will deteriorate additional, Xi’s acceptance of Trump’s inauguration invitation presents a possibility that shouldn’t be missed. As China’s high chief has repeatedly stated, each international locations stand to realize from cooperation and lose from confrontation.
Apparently, Trump instructed reporters on Dec 17 that Beijing and Washington might work collectively to “remedy all the issues of the world”. Given Trump’s impulsive and unpredictable nature, it’s laborious to know if he means what he says.
Nevertheless, his sweeping assertion crystallises essentially the most important problem to make sure world peace: Each Beijing and Washington ought to revisit a G2 strategy to their relationship, through which they’ll develop a aggressive and cooperative relationship to handle bilateral issues and sort out international challenges.
Following his latest journey to China, Thomas Friedman, a columnist with the New York Occasions, wrote that Beijing and Washington ought to workforce as much as sort out a a lot larger frequent enemy – dysfunction. I couldn’t agree extra.
Friedman prompt that Trump ought to discover a “Nixon goes to China” transfer to hunt the much-needed rapprochement between the 2 international locations for the sake of a steady twenty first century.
Drawing from historical past and given the excessive stakes, China’s management ought to significantly contemplate a transfer of “Xi goes to Washington”, to realize the higher hand.
Wang Xiangwei is a former Editor-In-Chief of South China Morning Publish. He now teaches journalism at Hong Kong Baptist College.
