John Thornton: How can Sino-US relations "break the ice" and rebuild mutual trust?
China News Service, Beijing, October 22 Title: (East-West Question: China-US Dialogue) John Thornton: How can Sino-US relations "break the ice" and rebuild mutual trust?
China News Service reporter Zeng Nai and Wang Enbo
In recent years, the bilateral relationship between China and the United States has gone through twists and turns. How can China and the United States break the deadlock and promote the development of bilateral relations in the future? China News Service invited Wang Huiyao, chairman of the Globalization Think Tank (CCG), to have a dialogue with John Thornton, honorary president of the Brookings Institution.
John Thornton is a well-known American investor, former president and chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs Group, and currently the honorary chairman of the Brookings Institution, a well-known American think tank. Thornton is regarded as a "China passer", and the Brookings Institution China Center is named after Thornton. After retiring from Goldman Sachs, he became a professor at Tsinghua University. In 2008, Thornton was awarded the Chinese Government Friendship Award.
Infographic: John Thornton.
The transcript of the dialogue is summarized below:
Wang Huiyao: You talked about the lack of trust between China and the United States and the rebuilding of mutual trust. Now that the Biden administration has been in place for more than half a year, what can we do?
John Thornton: The U.S.-China relationship will be the most important bilateral relationship of this century. In general, I'm skeptical of generalized statements about inflection points, decoupling, or the Cold War. Most such statements are emotional, provocative, unhelpful and erroneous. I think it's best for us to look at the long term and look at dynamic trends.
Would the world be a better place if rich countries were mired in arguments and even fighting with each other, while most of the rest remained trapped in poverty, malnutrition and victims of climate change? Or will the great powers work together to lead the world to a safer, more prosperous, more harmonious place? Isn't the answer obvious?
Climate issues are a global one. Strikingly, U.S. and Chinese leaders are following the modus operandi that has worked well in U.S.-China relations, known as the Zhou Enlai-Kissinger model, or the Liu He-Lighthizer model in recent years. The effective model is for U.S. and Chinese leaders to each appoint an experienced, highly trusted senior figure; both sides work together to build a relationship of trust and solve problems.
Both U.S. and Chinese leaders have publicly said they will cooperate on climate issues without considering other issues. Success on climate issues will prove once again that cooperation between the United States and China can lead the world toward a safer, healthier, and more harmonious environment. This is good for both countries and for the world; all other thorny and complex issues can be achieved through cooperation between two countries and others, in the collective interest of the peoples of the world.
In 2018, fireworks were set off over the Hudson River in front of the Chinese Consulate General in New York to celebrate the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dog.
Wang Huiyao: Some scholars have suggested that Biden's proposal to "build back better world" at the G7 summit can be considered together with China's "Belt and Road" initiative and the EU investment plan. The leaders of China, Germany and France held a video conference and also talked about the cooperation between China and the EU in Africa. What do you think?
John Thornton: In the United States, there are some people who characterize the Belt and Road As China's geostrategic plan, but that's not the case. Rich countries should collaborate globally and participate in initiatives such as Rebuilding a Better World and the Belt and Road Initiative to build the necessary infrastructure for the rest of the world so that we can build a safer and more prosperous world.
These initiatives are very difficult to implement. But if the world can work together to build critical infrastructure in an efficient way for the benefit of nations, it's actually a great thing for humanity itself. So obviously, we should cooperate, there's no doubt about that.
Data map: Unveiling of the "Sino-US Cultural Exchange Center" located in Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province. Photo by Li Qin
Wang Huiyao: At present, China and the United States are facing the problem of the flow of people between countries. How do you view cross-border humanities, business, tourism, think tanks and other exchanges in this special period, and how to truly promote exchanges between the two sides in these fields?
John Thornton: Strong ties between the peoples of the United States and China are necessary. I want young people to be active promoters of the relationship between the two countries. There are about 400 million "millennials" in China, and it's important to consider how they grew up, how they think about the future, and how China's leadership responds to the needs of this group. The same is true for the United States. The connection between these groups is definitely at the heart of the U.S.-China relationship.
The links between young people are deep and broad, encompassing multiple levels, including between states, universities, NGOs, individuals, etc.; This is probably the best insurance measure to avoid miscalculation at the top. I think in some ways, the wisdom or common sense of the population can serve as a breakthrough against certain unwise decisions of elite groups.
Data chart: Sino-US Youth Basketball Friendly Match. China News Service reporter Chen Jimin photographed
Wang Huiyao: This year marks the 50th anniversary of Kissinger's visit to China. Kissinger has mentioned that the relationship between China and the United States is more critical today than it was in 1971. Is it possible for both sides to "break the ice" again in some way after 50 years? What are your thoughts on the future of U.S.-China relations?
John Thornton: When talking about competition and cooperation, I can understand these two ideas between countries, but I can't understand confrontation. Confrontation is absolutely impossible, and we shouldn't even think about the concept.
Should a country spend its time arguing or confronting each other, or should it spend its time trying to make the world a better place? In my opinion, the answer is very obvious. And the sooner we realize this, the more we should ask the decision-makers to do a good job of this great thing of common development, as Nixon, Mao Zedong, and Kissinger did 50 years ago. (End)
Source: China News Network