Forty years after Nixon’s extraordinary visit to China, a clash of political systems exists that not even shared economic interests can mask.
Few geopolitical events in the 20th century could compare to Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China 40 years ago. Today, the “week that changed the world” is chiefly remembered as a bold gamble in diplomatic revolution that paid off handsomely for the American president and the United States. Even more obvious today, however, is that the Nixon visit started a process that eventually ended China’s self-imposed isolation and paved the way for the Middle Kingdom’s re-emergence as a great power. Over the last 40 years, China has gained far more than the United States from the Sino-American strategic rapprochement.
In terms of security, the quasi-alliance established between the United States and China following the visit vastly enhanced China’s ability to stand up to the Soviet Union, which amassed 30 to 40 divisions against China and was contemplating a preemptive strike on Chinese nuclear facilities shortly before the Nixon visit. Of course, adding China as a balancer against the Soviet Union helped the United States wage the Cold War. But the United States would have ultimately defeated the Soviet Union in this contest even without the Chinese contribution, which was modest in substantive terms.
Given the political turmoil of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the economic dividends of the U.S.-China rapprochement would have to wait a few more years. It wasn’t until Deng Xiaoping’s return to power – and the economic revolution his reforms launched – that China began to appreciate the economic importance of its ties with the United States. Obviously, the astute Deng himself grasped this importance instinctively. That’s why the first overseas visit he made after gaining political supremacy in December 1978 (the month during which, incidentally, Beijing and Washington formally normalized relations) was the United States. He knew that China’s economic reform and opening couldn’t succeed without investment and technology from the United States. The model that drove China’s economic rise – high investment, openness to foreign direct investment and trade, and de-centralization – would have delivered far less impressive results had the U.S. market been closed to Chinese goods and American companies banned from investing in China (as they were before the Nixon visit).
So this past week, four decades after the Nixon visit, the verdict is in: China has been the clear winner. Luckily, the U.S. didn’t lose, either. It has been a rare win-win game in geopolitics. Nevertheless, even in this win-win situation, China has undoubtedly gained far more than the United States. The tallying of such relative gains makes one wonder why so many Chinese elites should harbor such anti-American resentments today.
The underlying reason for the mutually beneficial U.S.-China relations since the Nixon visit is quite clear. The two countries shared important interests: security against the Soviet threat during the Cold War and growing economic benefits from trade and investment after the Cold War.
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Gaurav Singh
Why The Hell is China even compared to US which maintains several 100 millitary bases around the world.
TF 74 is enough alone to take on CHina.
WITHOUT HAVING A SINGLE POLLUTING FACTORY US economy is 3 times the size of China with 5 times lesser population and A MUUUCCCHH STABLE POLITICAL SYSTEM which does depend on Army and Tianmenn square massacres….
What Kind of Competition are You talking about
US is a generation ahead of Russia WHICH ITSELF IS 2 generations ahead of China…
WTF The weapons which China is still developing…US HAS RETIRED 2 GENERATIONS OF THEM..
China has PARASITIC ALLIES LIKE NORTH KOREA AND PAKISTAN….
SOme of the US allies are alone capable of Fending off China..
I think People want to give false Overconfidence to China and Make it commit a mistake…
China is still a developing country where 40% of the people have no proper housing and an Average US cititzen buys 4-5 houses in his life.
Establishing Insitutions like California inst of Technology MITs and Harvard take 100s of Years and China has been in existence only for 60 years…WTF man..
PS- I am not demeaning China I think it has done a fantastic job lifting millions out of poverty but talking about US is too muchh
US is a 400 yr old democracy and every 13th person in the world wants to settle there…..Except NORTH KOREANs NOBODY DREAMS OF SETLLING IN CHINA and thereby making a last choice of its life…
uri
I question the caption for the article. Why is China destined to clash with America? Why would China wish to clash with the U.S.? It is obvious the U.S. wishes to start a war with China and have it become a vassal with no freedom, independence and sovereignty. I question Mr Pei .. why would a Chinese like him lay the groundwork for a future American attack on China by writing such an article? Such a person can only be termed a traitor in my books. The aggressor, and on a global basis, is America. Washington has gone mad .. literally and power mad. And Pei seemed to be part of that foolish evil conspiracy.
Mike Hwang
Fully agree with URI.The US ,intoxicated with its overwhelming power has nothing better to do than poke its nose in the the affairs of other countries.Millions of Americans are homeless and without mecicare.Do the politicians bother?No they are out to line their pockets by cozying up to the military industial complex.The mic is out to start the next war in the name of defending US interest ie attacking defenceless Iran.NK is a different case. The fact it can destroy Seoul and cause thousand of US casualties is a small deterrent.
The US is devising new weapons to neutralise the PLA.Try as it might,it will never achieve 100% one hundred per cent immunity.The Chinese aint dumb and having lived under the shadow of the US nuclear threat since the Korea war ,they will make 100% sure the US will suffer a damaging counter attack if attacked.
Now let’s say the roles were reversed. Assuming you have PLA destroyers roaming off California,the Pentagon would invest in counter measures.
So the Chinese have every right to get the wapons to defend themselves.And don’t give the bull shit that the US is a force for the good of the world and Asia.China is not out to attack Japna or US. They want to make absolutely sure the US will suffer unaccetable damage /punishment if it starts a war with China.
Paul Yang
Mr. Pei, please think about the 3 blind spots in your logic:
1. Suppose China has some “evil design” to be the strongest nation on earth,
the only thing she needs to do is – NOTHING – Why she wants to risk a
clash with the US which has enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world
10 times over?
— ” Overwhelm the enemy soldiers without firing a shot” — Sun Tzu
You must know the above famous Chinese axiom, so do the CCP partycrats.
Don’t you think?
2. Suppose the US citzens answer you call to arms with complete victory, and
say, kill 200 million Chinese in a hot war, then … China will still be a
powerful nation, maybe just with a 30-year delay. Look aound your world map.
Chinese are always prosperous – Hongkong, Taiwan, Singapore, S.E. Asia –
when China re-emerges again with the memory of the blood hatred, how can the
world go on?
3. Yes, we do have issues with the CCP leaders, and lots of them. We need the
Chinese citizens to go back to the ancient wisdoms (Confucius, say) to view
the world with kindness and love, not suspicion and fear. We desperately need
to do this. Unfortunately, cheap talks of “clash” are making it more
difficult. Why do your conscience allow you to use your knowledge against the
future of mankind?
ke si qian
I agree with your comments. The 21st century will be a multi polar world. Big powers will be EU (if they can stay united and consolidate further), USA, China and other powers such as Russia, India, Brazil.
Peace
Hello Papa John:
I can tell you I’m a proud American. Just because I love this country that I want put the fact in front of us. Our interest should be our home. American military was in Asian countries, Vietnam, Korea, Philippine… Why we want going back there again? Our school need upgrade and out highway need repair. Let the Asian country work out between themselves with UN.
We American should not involve with that kind of issues. We do not have real reason, we do not have the resources, and we do not have the moral authority. We may achieve short term goals with this type of action but we will lose credibility as the world leader in the long run. Let make America strong at home first. If we do what we believe and act what we promote, America will always be the best.
I do not know why some people have to make 1.4 billion Chinese people our enemy? Show them our leadership, show them our value. Make them our friends.
Duke
Cheap propaganda! The Pacific-Asia is so important militarily, economically & diplomatically to the US’s future in the world! If the US would like to recover from this ‘great recession’ it must work well with all of its allies and rivals (especially China) in this strategic region!
Peace
Hello Duke.
How much American life lost in Vietnam? Did we got anything except the painful memory. Is that propaganda?
We got ourselves in this great recession by get into Iraq and we must dig ourselves out of it.
Do you think we will get anything more by confronting a nation with 1.4 Billon people this time?
We should compete with them economically and do our best take their market opportunity. We cannot afford make 1.4 billion Chinese people our enemy.
Peace
Peace
Hello Janbaz:
As personal experience I can honestly assure that the minority get better treatment in China. Like I said before, they should do better, especially the low level local government to better serve all the Chinese people.
At the same time, most Chinese’s people agree that if any party have set goal which is the separation the Tibet, XJ, or TW from China, than whatever the Chinese government do will not be enough. Period!
You talk about Tibetan monks kills themselves. What that will proof? There are much, much more suicide bombers attacking American interest all over the world, Is that mean we are wrong for their action? I really felt sick whenever a Monk burning themselves, there somehow always happen in front of foreign “media” to feed to YouTube.
Why not help the monk before it happen?
Thanks.
papa john
@peace,
You sound much like a typical mainlander Chinese than an American to me. It is like “hey, lets the Chinese do whatever they like with their own minorities and the South Chinese sea issue is of China alone. It is none of American business”. If you can’t stand with our American interests, then you should stay away from American part, go with the Chinese part alone.
Peace
As personal experience I can honestly assure that the minority get better treatment in China. Like I said before, they should do better, especially the low level local government to better serve all the Chinese people.
At the same time, most Chinese’s people agree that if any party have set goal which is the separation the Tibet, XJ, or TW from China, than whatever the Chinese government do will not be enough. Period!
You talk about Tibetan monks kills themselves. What that will proof? There are much, much more suicide bombers attacking American interest all over the world, Is that mean we are wrong for their action? I really felt sick whenever a Monk burning themselves, there somehow always happen in front of foreign “media” to feed to YouTube.
Why not help the monk before it happen?
Thanks.
Leonard R.
Interesting piece in the Global Times today. Does it indicate softening of the PRC’s position? Is Xi starting to clean up Hu Jintao’s mess?
(emphasis added by me using caps)
http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/ID/698257/Public-will-increasingly-swaying-diplomatic-policies.aspx
—
“A Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday that the CORE of the South China Sea dispute is about sovereignty over the NANSHA Islands and the DEMARCATION of territorial waters in South China Sea.
He added that NO COUNTRY, CHINA INCLUDED, has ever SOVEREIGNTY OVER the WHOLE of the SOUTH CHINA SEA. It caused much criticism from Chinese netizens, saying it shows a weakened stance on China’s territorial sovereignty.
The next day, the same spokesman stated that China has unquestionable sovereignty over Xisha Islands and its nearby sea areas and the remarks won enormous applause from the netizens, even though there was no conflict between the two statements and the second just merely sounded slightly tougher….
China cherishes a peaceful development environment and friendship with neighboring countries. It is reluctant to aggravate the situation. More importantly, China is clear that the best way to solve problems is to address them head on. ”
—
Leonard R.
Should read: “…no country, China included, has ever claimed sovereignty over the whole of the South China Sea…”
peace
Hello Mr. Pei:
As a Chinese America, We have responsibilities to promote peace. The two countries should be able to work tighter for a better world.
I was in Beijing when 4 of June happened. At the time All of Chinese youth worship America, We believed every word spooked on CNN, BBC and Voice of America. Events today, many Chinese look up to the US and have very positive view about America.
But locking back twenty years, We American is losing ground on almost every way. Mostly, we are losing the new generation of Chinese people. We used to be the shining star point to the direction or tomorrow, but we are losing that statue. From the economic to the human rights. The Chinese is making constant improvement while our county here sliding back all around significantly.
We can blame on other people for our problems, but until we take care of our own problems and until we do and act what we believed in. We will lose our status as leader of the world; we will lose the new generation of young people not only in china but around the world.
There is not any one in the world at this time can defeat America in any way. We need show the world of America confidence and provide the leadership with actions base on the value we believe in.
Treat the Chinese people with respect, sincerely help the Chinese government to better serve their citizen, accept the fact that that even that government is far, far from perfect. They have done many things right for the Chinese people and for the world. If we do thing right, we will have the nation, especially its people as our friend instated of as enemy.
We can, we should, and we must.
a_canadian_observer
@peace: I sense your passion, and agreed with you on many points, but there are a few of your points that have left me perplexed:
1. You said that young chinese 20 years ago worshipped America, but not anymore. What I know is America means business (i.e. they look out for their own interest) but also have contributed greatly to humanity, technologically as well as humanitarian – although I disagree with them on Iraq war. Don’t you think that the change in attitude of young chinese is mostly due to the chinese government playing the nationalistic and victim card?
2. “The chinese have making constant improvement while we’re sliding back…” True! But who provided china the chance to better herself, economically? Are you not aware of the trade imbalance, currency manipulation, IP and copyright theft, etc. to name a few? that china has been playing? Now, on the human right and freedom sides, are you sure that china has improved? Are you saying that students now can gather and protest at Tianmen square without being run over by tanks? Are you not aware of what has been happening in Tibet and Xinjiang?
3. “sincerely help the Chinese government to better serve their citizen,” But they would not listen. This is their “internal affairs”.
4. “They have done many things right for the Chinese people and for the world”. I’m not going to comment on whether “they have done many things right for the chinese” because this is their “internal affair”. But please enlighten me on what good ddeds chinese government has done for the world. Are you not aware that china trained, armed, supplied and support the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia that exterminated 1/3 of Cambodian population in the 70′s? Are you not aware that china supported regimes such as North Korea, Pakistan, Iran, and a number of dictatorship states in Africa and the Middle East? How about their drawing up the illegal dotted-line in the SCS and declared eveything inside theirs? Don’t tell me they are not aware of the UNCLOS that they are a signatory.
What is you true intention?
Peace
Hello Canadian observer:
Thank your response!
As American today, I love this country, It still the very best this world has!
When you love the country, you want her better, the strength of American came from it tolerance and diversity. Don’t you think we are losing that strength now?
Please allow me to answer your questions.
1. American peoples are honest, generous and kind people. I certainly cannot put the same label to our government which is totally hijacked by all kinds of special interest groups. Leave the Chinese government action along. The change in attitude of Chinese people most because of their culture back ground and abilities to access of information, particular, the internet. Most people there love what America’s value and ideas but disagree with the many actions of American.
2. America have trade imbalance with many country, do we make anything anymore? If America not gets our self-ready to compete, the imbalance will grow much bigger all around the word. At same time there should not be unreasonable restrictions to sell many stuff to china. Currency manipulation? Is our own government doing it? Do you hate the value of our dollar when we travel outside the US? IP and copyrights issues are all over the place around the world. The Chinese Government must do more to stop it but I find it very interesting that no one even mention this is a globe issues. I noticed more vendor selling pirated software and DVD in the St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City than in Beijing honestly! As a computer enthusiastic, I find it is totally unbelievable that American software companies can not have a product that is copyright secured. But many people say that is intentionally done to kill the small, local companies. Who want to develop costly software when there is a product for free?
3. On the human right and freedom issues, I can honestly say it is thousand times better than past. Even it is far, far behind the western standard. Any reasonable Chinese will tell you that. As for Trainmen square, I was there; I have many friends and family members on the square. My relative who is 17 years old was put in prison for months. But if peoples insist that PLA intentionally run over people, they will lose the credibility in front many many people who witness the event. On Tibet and Xinjiang I was there, my best friend was from Xinxiang. The Chinese government should and could do a better job for the regions but I can tell you the minority get better treatment in China. You get more pay for the same job; you get in college easier, you can have more kid than one…. This is fact. Tibet people are pure and happy people. They are not living in hell!
If America acknowledges Tibet belong to China than let the Chinese people take care themselves. For the forces that want separate Tibet, Taiwan and xijiang from china. Whatever effort done by the government will be wrong. That is why most Chinese distrust foreign media when most of them feel the different.
The Chinese government is a very new Government compare with the western country. They have done many thing badly, big time. I do feel they try to do a better job and provide the better life for their citizen but facing so many problems. If we sincerely help the government and leave the politic out it, we can do more for the Chinese people and the World. We will win the people all around the world.
4. Simplelly, feed the 1.4 billion people and keep that part of world stable is an amazing job for any kind of government. Is china the biggest creditor of our government? As for the arm sell, I hope all nation stop sell any arms to anyone. The shocking truth is that we sell more arms around the world more than anyone in the world.
My intention is to share my views that represent many many people around the world. I want my county strong; provide the leadership to the world. What America do today will set the future of world?
Thank you again.
Peace
Janbaz
Hi Peace,
Are you sure the minority get better treatment in China? Why do you think these Tibetan monks kills themselves if they are happy as your said? You might be one of these Chinese American who ….
Pearl
China is behind the killings and troubles in syria. Why china veto at the united nations security council? The move of china is considered evil.
Regarding south china sea issue, china is claims the whole china sea is theirs. China being a signatory of UNCLOS, never recognized the United nations convention on the law of the sea (UNCLOS). A 200nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). China is too far from the spratly’s but still they are claiming it thier own. This is an obvious GREEDINESS.
Peace
No Matter who is in charge in the Middle East there will be the other branches of religious sectors not happy with it. We can take down this Syria government and look like we will. But we will have to do the same thing all over again in twenty years with hundreds of thousands life lost in the region. This is gone on for thousands of years. The South China Sea issues should also be work out between the countries in the region.
We American should not involve with that kind of issues. We do not have real reason, we do not have the resources, and we do not have the moral authority. We may achieve short term goals with this type of action but we will lose credibility as the world leader in the long run. Let make America strong at home first. If we do what we believe and act what we promote, America will always be the best.
yccesq
Isn’t there a presumption somewhere?