The poll by another semi-monthly in Chinese, Globe and with Sina.com on ‘the US in Chinese eyes’, made an interesting comparison with a similar poll before Bill Clinton’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai. In the poll 11 years ago, 69.1 per cent of the respondents saw the US as ‘a powerful economy’. Less than one third out of 16,726 polled still think so today, nor see ‘the US as a land of opportunities’.
The gap between Chinese perceptions of America a decade ago and those today are a footnote to a series of events that have affected the United States in the interim: 9/11, the Enron scandal, WorldCom and Arthur Andersen, the Iraq War, the subprime mortgage crisis, and the global financial meltdown. The gap also suggests a disillusion over the moral high ground America has taken, and over which officials in Beijing often feel a headache when it comes down to discussions on issues like human rights. The other side of the coin, however, is China’s strong economic growth and the inflation of a nationalistic complex among the younger generation.
Given Mr. Obama’s charisma and his skill in communication, it is understandable the White House team put weight on a town hall-style meeting with ‘young Chinese leaders’ born after 1980 on Monday in Shanghai. Sensitive issues, like freedom of belief and speech for example, can be spoken out in public there, leaving talks later in Beijing to take place in a more cooperative tone. As President Obama left for Tokyo on Thursday, the format of the meeting, such as whether it would be broadcast live on television and the internet, was still to be settled.
The vast agenda that awaits President Obama in Beijing will not be as easy as the talks with Chinese youngsters. The two sides hold vastly different positions on a lot of issues. In the economic realm, China will focus on US recognition of its market economy status, President Obama’s commitment against protectionism, and the elimination of barriers against Chinese investment in the US. The White House on the other hand will insist on revaluation of the RMB exchange rate, intellectual property rights protection, and market access to Chinese service industries. Among nontraditional issues like a coordinated stance on climate change, it will be even more difficult to make headway, especially if the people in Beijing see President Obama heading for the Copenhagen Summit with empty hands. Some of Obama’s aides have already lowered goals for the China trip in a cautionary tone.
The common understanding is that this trip will bring no gift. On the contrary, the anticipation is for a lot of pressure for Chinese commitment from its US counterpart including, for example: a possible financial stability framework between Beijing and Washington; in the international arena, a commitment for resource input in Afghanistan and Pakistan; and cooperation on the nonproliferation effort against North Korean and Iranian nuclear ambitions.
There is still one possible high point for this visit however, when James Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State talked about ‘strategic reassurance’ to China. Uncovering the meaning and content of ‘strategic reassurance’ is an important interest for the Chinese leadership in talks with President Obama.
Xue Chen is research fellow in Strategic Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS).
There are many differences between US and China. China’s strategy focuses on economic strength and capturing the whole world’s economy. However, the US is involved in both political and economic dimensions, like the US involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Both countries follow different strategies to strengthen their influences in their respective regions. But this visit is also a hopeful sign for both countries to understand each others strategies.