Over the past thirty-six years since China and U.S. established diplomatic relations, the two countries have developed a new road which has avoided confrontation between two major countries. For instance, the fruitful 7th U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue and the 6th U.S.-China High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange are the valuable result of the two countries’ constant pursuit of common strategic interests and attempts to promote bilateral relations.
Reviewing the bumpy road of the development of Sino-U.S. relations, each phase had peculiar core affairs crying for attention. At present, it seems that conflicts may happen soon between the two countries in Asian-Pacific region. The main reason is that the U.S. feels that its dominant position in the region over the past seventy years after WWII has changed due to China’s development. There is no doubt that the region is in the face of centennial transition of geopolitical security conditions, resulting in the two major issues of “strategic mutual trust” and “Asian-Pacific interaction” in the development of Sino-U.S. relations.
The U.S. has transferred its strategic focus to the East and constantly enhanced security arrangements and military strength in Asia-Pacific region. In recent years, in some American people’s eyes, China’s diplomatic measures, including upholding sovereignty over territorial waters and expanding maritime rights and interests, advocating the establishment of Asia-Pacific security order and improving surrounding security environment, are aimed at showing muscle to the outside world and challenging U.S. military advantage and strategic dominance in the region. As for China’s reclamation projects in China’s territorial waters of the South China Sea, some American people overreacted, and some think tanks and scholars even clamored for changing strategy against China and expand “rebalancing” so as to counter China.
However, some people of insight pointed out that it’s the lack of “mutual trust” that influences the development of Sino-U.S. relations, and more precisely, it’s the “Thucydides’s Trap” of conflict among great powers in their hearts. Indeed, any change in strength, interest and situation between two countries can turn “strategic mutual trust” into “strategic distrust”. As “Trust” is fragile while “Distrust” is inflammable, China and the U.S. must urgently establish strategic mutual trust so as to prevent the precious “Trust” from burning down by the “Distrust”.
