President Xi's US visit should be an opportunity
- By Sumantra Maitra
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E-mail China.org.cn, September 22, 2015
Senator John McCain, Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was quoted by Politico magazine as saying: "We continue to restrict our Navy from operating within the 12-mile zone of China's reclaimed islands, a dangerous mistake that grants de facto recognition of China's man-made sovereignty claims."
He is not the only one talking tough. Admiral Harry Harris, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, told the Aspen Security Forum: "China is changing the facts on the ground, literally, by essentially building man-made islands on top of coral reefs rocks and shoals….I believe that China's actions to enforce its claims within the South China Sea could have far-reaching consequences for our own security and economy, by disrupting the international rules and norms that have supported the global community for decades."
Such statements make one wonder if things are really that gloomy between U.S. and China. The answer is no. While there are definitely major differences, the countries can best be termed as adversaries and not enemies. In fact the modern globalized economic system makes it very difficult for two powers to be total rivals.
Even Russia and U.S., though actively opposed to each other on many issues, are trying to cooperate while facing the ISIS threat in Syria, and cooperating in space technology. Similarly there are a lot of areas where China and the U.S. do cooperate.
In fact, I would imagine that both the Chinese and U.S. administration will take the opportunity of President Xi's visit to iron out a few issues. This should actually be a summit, which might solidify the G2 framework that is sorely needed for a stable functioning relationship between the two superpowers.
There should be ready communication procedure and a direct line to avoid any untoward incident with regards to military movements. There should be more joint training and joint patrolling exercises between the two navies. A global security burden sharing should be discussed with China shouldering some Middle East responsibilities, like aiding refugee camps, and patrolling Mediterranean sea and even joint campaigns against the people smugglers along the Libyan coast should be an urgent priority.
President Xi and President Obama should also discuss the changing Japanese military postures so that there is no scope of misunderstanding. As President Xi mentioned once, "How the United States and China perceive each other's strategic intentions will directly affect their policies and the overall relationship."
The writer is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://china.org.cn/opinion/SumantraMaitra.htm
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