How long will US fascination with Mencius last?
- Source: Global Times
- [09:22 August 03 2009]
- Comments
By Tian Wei
Mencius must be happy! As a philosopher during China’s Warring States Period (475-221 BC), he traveled extensively for 40 years, offering rulers advice for reform. But the results were far from satisfactory. Feeling unable to effect changes, he retired from public life.
Some 2,500 years later, however, his teachings was recited and articulated by an African-American President from a country that is only 200 years old. Barack Obama invoked Mencius at the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) in Washington DC, “A trail through the mountains, if used, becomes a path in a short time, but, if unused, becomes blocked by grass in an equally short time.”
By using the quote, Barack Obama not only articulated the necessity of the two countries to communicate and cooperate, but also won big points with the Chinese public. Chinese Internet users are even composing things like an “Ode to Obama,”to praise the US President’s intellect and ability to appreciate Chinese philosophy.
Well, one can easily understand the excitement of the people of an ancient country when their culture is deeply appreciated by others. However, the most important question to be asked now is not what other aspects of ancient Chinese culture can fascinate the US, but rather how long will Washington need to continue its fascination about China?
To answer that, one needs to look at the reasons why an interest in China is a necessity now in Washington. China’s State Councilor Dai Bingguo pointed out during the S&ED that the upheaval of the recent economic crisis had united the two countries. “We’re actually in the same big boat that has been hit by fierce wind and huge waves,” he said.
Disasters do unite people. But that certainly is not all. It also makes the rhetoric of the previously strong weaker.
The US is feeling less confident about its economic underpinnings and less able than before to preach Beijing on revaluation or the delights of liberalization, particularly since so many of its own banks, insurers and carmakers have fallen under state control.
Meanwhile, just as important a reason for Washington to be pleasant to its Beijing guests is China’s huge foreign exchange reserve, a big part of which has gone into the US treasury bonds.
Washington needs to measure its words in every aspect to its largest creditor, particularly now, when the US Treasury surprised the market once and again with plans for record amount of sales. Yet, there has been increasing reluctance in the market to bid for them. For example, in one recent week along, according to US media reports, the US deluged the bond market with more than $200 billion in record-size sales. But demand apparently is fading.
Besides economic reasoning, the apparently new political and diplomatic positioning between Washington and Beijing may also help to explain the necessity for Washington to express their fascination about Mencius in front of its Chinese guests.
Though in the days of the two previous US administrations, China and the US sought to be “strategic partners,” the political positioning of Washington and Beijing were always somewhat unbalanced. Each time, China always needed to let Washington reconfirm its stance on the Taiwan question.
But now, it might be no longer necessary for Beijing to obtain that statement every time as relations across the Taiwan Straits have been experiencing some very positive development recently. Instead, Washington needs to get confirmation from Beijing on the latter’s attitudes on crucial issues, such as North Korea’s nuclear proliferation and Darfur.
Indeed, people are talking about how the financial crisis can change the balance of power. But it may be a few years before we know how that power is employed.
No matter where the wind blows, China should always be clear-minded as to what it is and in which stage of development it is when it comes to the country’s economic prosperity and international significance.
Currently, China relies heavily on exports for the economic growth rate and stable employment situation. While well aware of the necessity to change, the pendulum is still swaying in Beijing between maintaining economic growth and employment opportunities through exports, and taking big steps to encourage domestic consumption and reduce its reliance on exports.
But when could be a better opportunity than now for Change as the reality of reduced demand from international market is being exhibited everyday?
In addition, after 30 years of reform and opening-up, when would be a better opportunity for China to improve both on the political and social fronts and therefore, become a more credible stakeholder in today’s world?
The future is still unknown. It has a lot, if not all, to do with what we do now. It would be dangerous for China to confuse its rapid progress and likely emergence as a power with present-day reality. It would also be dangerous for China to assume that Washington will always be fascinated by Mencius from now on.
Tian Wei is the host of “Dialogue” on CCTV's English Channel, and the main anchor of CCTV's special coverage of important domestic and international events. Previously, Tian worked in Washington D.C. as a correspondent, and covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Her blog is http://blog.cctv.com/html/09/960109.html. Reach her at tianwei.gt@gmail.com
