Everyone eyes on China-US ties after Obama visit
- Source: Global Times
- [23:18 November 18 2009]
- Comments
US President Barack Obama's China visit has attracted world attention of a different kind from the past.
One of the major reasons for the difference is that Sino- US relations have gone beyond bilateral relations and become a global relationship.
During the past year, one of the biggest highlights in Sino- US relations is the cooperation in the G20 framework.
In this framework, the US can continue to lead future reform of the international financial system to realize a stable power network.
Meanwhile, as the developing country with the largest population, China could play a more important part in the world through this framework.
China's strength is relatively limited, so it won't form a so-called G2 with the US, not even join the G7, which is a rich country club.
Currently, one of China's major goals is to help developing countries have a louder voice. Thus the G20 has become a very suitable platform for Sino-US cooperation.
From this point of view, some problems need to be solved in Sino-US relations in the future.
What international responsibilities will the US ask China to undertake? The US wants China to undertake more, but, actually, China just doesn't have enough ability.
The US also hopes to use the existing international systems to institutionalize China's future development.
However, the existing systems were established by Western countries. Their basic rules fit Western countries' interests instead of those of emerging economies and developing countries, including China.
After all, the US is still the most powerful country in the world, and many countries depend on its power to balance their international relations. On the contrary, some countries still have uncertain feelings about China.
So the world is wondering: What kind of Sino-US relations do we need and what we can gain and lose from it?
Multilateral frameworks, such as the G20, provide new opportunity for the develop-ment of Sino-US relations.
Future Sino-US relations will not just be driven by the two's own interests, but also by global issues and multilateral cooperation systems.
Changjiang Times
