China and the United States Should Build A New Type of Major Powers Relations
----A Study on China’s U.S. Policy Thinking since the New Century

By Wang Gonglong and Guo Xiaoqin

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China and the United States Should Build A New Type of Major Powers Relations
----A Study on China’s U.S. Policy Thinking since the New Century

By Wang Gonglong and Guo Xiaoqin

China-America Study Center, Shanghai Party School, CPC

Diplomacy with major powers is an important part of China’s diplomacy and China-U.S. relations are the most important part. China-U.S. relations are bestowed more meaning in the new century by their influences as far as the two countries and the world are concerned. A study on China U.S. policy thinking in the new century will give an important enlightenment on the development and stability of future China-U.S. relations.

I. Inheritance and Change: the Theoretical and Practical Foundation of China’s U.S. Policy Thinking

From the beginning of the reform and opening up to the 1990s, China had initiated a series of guidelines, principles and policies in its foreign policy to the United States with valuable experiences of China diplomatic work in the new century. To summarize, the first is that China, in its diplomatic guidelines, initiates to enhance trust, reduce trouble, develop cooperation and avoid conflicts so as to grasp opportunity to consolidate and expand mutual cooperation and properly handle differences and contradictions between the two countries. The second is that, in diplomatic principle, China uses national interests instead of ideology as the judging criterion of developing China-U.S. relations. While meeting U.S. former President Richard Nixon, Deng Xiaoping pointed out that in studying and handling problems, both sides place the highest importance on the national interests.1The third is that China takes the approaches of both cooperation and struggle, and the combination of principle and flexibility diplomatically. At the Eighth Meeting of Chinese Diplomatic Envoys Posted Abroad on July 12, 1993, Jiang Zemin said that for a relatively long time into the future, the United States will remain our main diplomatic counterpart. One aspect of our relations with the United States is characterized by conflict and mutual animosity, but another involves interdependence and cooperation. Preserving and developing our relations with the United States is therefore strategically important for China.2Jiang Zemin emphasized that how to deal with the United States is an important subject in our diplomatic work. Put it simply, we should be both combative and conciliatory. We need to have combative spirit and skills, while justifiably pursuing our advantages with restraint, and make safeguarding the national fundamental interests the primary objective.3Under the guidance of these diplomatic guidelines and foreign policies, China-U.S. relations had remained generally stable in 1990s though there were the Galaxy Ship Accident, the Taiwan Strait Crisis, and the Accident of Bombing the Chinese Embassy in 1999. These guidelines and polices have been inherited as the theoretical foundation of China’s U.S. policy thinking in the new century.

Entering the new century, the international situation continues profound changes, the post-cold war transformation of the international system has not come to an end, the trends of economic globalization, political multipolarization and democratization of international relations are still developing. In the process of international system adjustments, the power shift among major powers has dramatic bearing on international political architecture. Under this large background, some changes have also taken place between China and the United States. Firstly, the narrowed strength gap between the two countries. Entering the new century, China’s economy has fast growth and China’s economic aggregate became the second largest in the world in 2010. However, since the beginning of the new century, after experiencing the Afghanistan War, the Iraq War and the 2008 financial crisis, the U.S. hegemony is not as stable as just after the end of the cold war. On the one hand, the shrinking of strength gap between China and the United States has strengthened China’s initiative in working with the United States; on the other hand, the U.S. anxiety over its hegemony and the rising China has increased. All versions of “China threat” have interrupted the smooth development of China-U.S. relations. This change has made China readjust its U.S. policy thinking, and answer what road China will take and how China will perceive the international system dominated by the United Sates. Secondly, the expanded common interests between the two countries. Since the beginning of the new century, globalization continues deepening, economic and trade interdependence between the two countries is further consolidated, the two countries have formed a community of interests. The bilateral trade volume was US$ 80.5 billion in 2001, and reached more than US$ 400 billion in 2011, which increased by 4 times in 10 years. Meanwhile, the two countries share common interests in strategic security, regional and global issues and nontraditional security, including anti-terrorism, and response to global financial crisis, global warming, etc. Therefore, based on common interests, China’s U.S. policy thinking needs to change. Thirdly, the increased differences and contradictions between the two countries. They are reflected in bilateral, regional and global perspectives. From the bilateral perspective, there are problems related to Taiwain, Tibet, human rights, economic and trade conflicts, RMB exchange rate, U.S. control of high technologies export to China, intellectual property protection, China’s market economy status, etc. From the regional perspective, there are big differences in principle between China and the United States on the DPRK nuclear issue and Iran nuclear issue. On the issue of South China Sea, the United States views that the South China Sea involves its national interests so the bilateral contradictions on this issue have intensified. From the global perspective, take global warming, China and the United States have different views on the international responsibilities that each should shoulder. These existing differences urge China to creatively think its concept and the ways to deal with the differences in its U.S. policy thinking.

To summarize, whether the narrowed gap of the national strength, the expanded common interests and the increased contradictions between the two countries, all these show that China-U.S. relationship has entered a new stage. Hence, China’s U.S. policy thinking needs to make corresponding adjustments.

II. The Goal of China’s U.S. Policy Thinking: Building a New-type Major Powers Relationship

Since Chinese leaders firstly initiated to build a new-type relationship between major powers in the end of 1990s, China has never stopped exploring its diplomatic concept. In the beginning of the new century, China’s relationship with most of the major powers has been defined as “strategic partnership”. The White Paper on China’s Peaceful Development Road issued by the Information Office of the State Council in 2005 points out that China has established different forms of cooperative relations with major powers, dialogue, communication and cooperation have been strengthened.4The White Paper on China’s Peaceful Development issued in September 2011 further points out that China will actively build a framework for major powers relations featuring overall stability, balanced development and mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. China will increase strategic dialogue with the developed countries to promote strategic mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, handle difference properly, explore ways to establish and develop a new-type relationship among major powers and promote long-term, steady and sound growth of China’s relations with these countries.5Hu Jintao points out that whatever changes may take place in the world and no matter how the domestic situations in our two countries may evolve, both countries should be firmly committed to advancing the cooperative partnership and vigorously building new-type relations between major powers that set both our two peoples and peoples across the world at ease.6Therefore, to build a new-type relationship between major powers in the 21stcentury is the goal of China’s U.S. policy thinking since the beginning of the new century.

To structure new-type major powers relations between China and the United States is both the choice driven by the world trends in the new century and the summary and innovation of the experiences of the traditional relations among major powers in the 20thcentury. Firstly, the new-type relations among major powers are different from that between England and Germany in the beginning of the 20thcentury. At that time, the relations between England and Germany were the one between the established hegemony and the emerging challenger. Germany was eager to replace England to seek hegemony and dominate Europe by changing the international system through building military alliances. In the end, the First World War broke out and Germany was defeated. Secondly, it is different from the relations between the United States and the Soviet Union in the cold war of the 20thcentury. With ideologies in sharp confrontation and social systems in dramatic differences between the United States and the Soviet Union, the two superpowers sought world hegemony and conducted arms races. Thirdly, it is different from relations between China and the Soviet Union in 1950s and 1960s. In the beginning, the two countries had close relations due to the same ideologies. However, the conflicts in national interests and differences in ideologies eventually triggered the cooled bilateral relations and the outbreak of border armed conflicts. In the new century, economic globalization, political multipolarization and democratization of international relations continue deepening. Under this major background of international trends, the new-type China-U.S. major powers relations in the first place should discard the traditional logic of major powers inevitably going to war, the two countries are stakeholders with interests intertwined. Then, it is a relationship that transcends and accommodates different ideologies, social systems and development stages. Thirdly, it is a relationship that the two countries can jointly create and share institutions and shoulder international obligations under the current international system. Lastly, it is a relationship of mutual beneficial and win-win cooperation, stable and sustainable development.

To build a new-type relationship between major powers is closely related to the national development strategy and its position in the international system. What a road will China take and how will China realize peaceful rise? Facing various suspicions, China has given a clear-cut answer: taking the road of peaceful development, which is a choice made by history. Since the new century, the Chinese Government issued the White Paper on China’s Peaceful Development Road in 2005 and the White Paper on China’s Peaceful Development in 2011, which detail China’s road of peaceful development. During his visit to the United States in 2006, Hu Jintao thoroughly elaborated China’s road of peaceful development in his address at the Welcoming Dinner Hosted by Friendly Organizations in the United States.7In fact, as the China’s national development strategy, peaceful development answers two questions in China’s U.S. policy. The first one is that as an emerging power, China is not a challenger to the U.S. hegemony. Even becoming a developed country, China will not seek hegemony. In dealing with the relations between the hegemonic power and emerging powers, China discards the traditional thinking and chooses new-type relations between major powers as the goal of building the bilateral relations. The second one is that China’s adherence to the road of peaceful development shows to the world that China is an active participant in the exiting international system instead of a destroyer. The Chinese Government emphasizes that sovereign states are the major and basic actors in the international system. To develop the mainstream value through the world diversity and dialogue of civilizations and to promote the building of harmonious world with lasting peace and common prosperity is the development direction of the international system.8With this understanding of the international system, China firstly recognizes the United States as the sole superpower in the international system and acknowledges it is the dominator of the international affairs. As a rising power, China will be a participant in regional and international affairs currently and in the long future and does not have the capacity to dominate the building of the international system. China exerts influence on the world through changing itself.9China’s adherence to the road of peaceful development has given a positive reply to all versions of “China threat” in the United States. China’s development is not a challenge but an opportunity to the Sino-U.S. relations.

Ⅲ. The Principles of China’s U.S. Policy Thinking

(1) Command the overall situation of China-U.S. cooperation

To take what kind of China-U.S. relations into the 21stcentury was an issue jointly faced by China and the United States. Adhering to the correct development direction can ensure China-U.S. relations develop on the right track instead of poles apart. The cooperative partnership in fact since the 1990s is the direction that China has developed its relations with the United States. The development direction of China-U.S. relations is not an alliance because China has adopted its foreign policy of non-alliance since 1980s, and inherent differences in social systems, cultures and values between the two countries have disabled their alliance. Neither can the relations between the two countries be confrontational since they are important participants in the international system, nor will China choose to confront the United States, and confrontation between the two countries is not in the U.S. interests either.10Since the beginning of the new century, China’s U.S. policy thinking has always adhered to this correct direction. Firstly, China repeatedly emphasizes that the two sides must abandon the cold war mentality and the judging criterion of “either an enemy or a friend”, and should look at and handle the complicated relations between the two countries through multi-aspects and more pragmatic means. Secondly, to adhere to the development direction of cooperative partnership also means that cooperation should always be the mainstream though there are all kinds of problems and even emergencies between the two countries. In fact, China is always firm and unwavering in the development direction of China-U.S. relations.

China has always grasped China-U.S. cooperation mainstream. At the beginning of the new century, the head of the two states reached consensus on developing constructive and cooperative relations between the two countries. During his visit to the United States in 2006, Hu Jintao pointed out that China and the United States are not only stakeholders but also constructive partners. In the new century and under the new situation, the two countries should strengthen dialogues, expand consensus, enhance mutual trust, and deepen cooperation so as to push forward the all-round constructive and cooperative China-U.S. relations.11At G-20 Summit in London in 2009, President Hu Jintao met the U.S. President Obama and reached consensus to develop all-round constructive and cooperative China-U.S. relations. During Hu Jintao’s visit to the United States in 2011, China-U.S. Joint Statement issued by the two countries points out clearly that the two countries are committed to working together to build a cooperative partnership based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.12The constant enhancement of the niche of the two countries meets the needs of development of bilateral relations. On the one hand, with China’s peaceful development, the niche of cooperative partners featuring mutual respect, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation fragments the logic of the security dilemma between defending powers and emerging powers. On the other hand, the niche of China-U.S. relations more emphasizes that China attaches great importance to equal development and mutual respect of the bilateral relations. In his address at the opening session of the Fourth Round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues, President Hu Jintao pointed out that China and the United States need to think creatively, trust each other, act in a spirit of equality and mutual accommodation, work together and nourish our friendship so as to promote win-win cooperation and build new-type relations between major powers.13

(2) Strengthen strategic trust between the two countries.

Strategic trust means that countries with conflicting interests believe that neither side will try to damage other’s core interests as the main goal and relations between the two are competitive and cooperative instead of adversary.14Since the new century, due to the common efforts, the two countries have established foundation of strategic mutual trust, which, however, is still on a relatively low level. Strategic trust is a concept and is not totally determined by one side acts, but largely by intentions and judgments of intentions to a certain extent, is quite subjective and therefore can be shaped.15Since the new century, to enhance mutual trust between the two countries has been an important task of China’s diplomacy with the United States. In his important policy speech delivered on February 15, 2012 in Washington, D.C., Chinese top leaser Xi Jinping points out that strategic trust occupies an important place in the bilateral relations, China and the United States are stakeholders, strategic trust is the foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation, and deeper trust will lead to broader cooperation. The two sides should increase mutual understanding and trust and reduce misunderstanding and suspicion.16Since the new century, China and the United States have enhanced strategic trust and mutual understanding mainly through improving the mechanisms building. Firstly, the mechanism of regular meetings and exchanges between the head of two states and the number of meetings are unprecedented. President Hu Jintao paid stated visits to the United States in 2006 and 2011 and President Obama visited China in the first year in office, and the two countries issued the Sino-U.S. Joint Statements. At the same time, the head of two states have meetings and discussions at a series of international and regional conferences, for example, the G-20 Summit, Nuclear Security Summit, G-8 Summit and the Informal Meeting of the APEC Leaders. Through these meetings, the head of two states have timely exchanged views on bilateral relations and understood the views and policies of the partner, which has helped deepen mutual understanding. Secondly, the establishment and effective function of the mechanisms of China-U.S. Strategic Dialogues, and the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues. The first round of China-U.S. Strategic Dialogue was held in Beijing on August 1, 2005, which, as the first mechanism of strategic dialogues, is an important channel for them to enhance mutual understanding, promote cooperation and deepen strategic consensus between the two countries. By 2008, China-U.S. Strategic Dialogues were altogether held 6 rounds. China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues started in 2006 and are held twice a year alternatively in the capital of the two countries. China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues are held to meet the needs of dealing with development of economic and trade relations between the two countries and is the economic and trade exchange mechanism with the highest level and biggest influence since the establishment of diplomatic relations. President Hu Jintao and President Obama reached consensus during their meeting at the London G-20 Summit in 2009 that the mechanisms of the two dialogues should be combined into one: China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues. The first round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues was held from July 27 to 28, 2009 in Washington D.C. and both sides unanimously maintained that this mechanism is conducive to enhancing understanding, expanding consensus, reducing differences and promoting cooperation. Up to May 2012, China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues are held 4 rounds, which have played an important role in enhancing understanding and maintaining the stability of bilateral relations.

(3) Respect mutually and abide by the promises

Mutual respect and treating each other as equals is the way for major powers to deal with their relations. The gap of strength between China and the United States has been narrowing since the new century. But, it is undeniable that there are still differences in social systems, ideologies, cultural values and social development stages between the two countries and these differences will remain throughout the development process of China-U.S. relations for a rather long period into the future. In terms of comprehensive strength, the future China-U.S. relations will continue the posture of strong United States and weak China. Under this background, China emphasizes mutual respect to each other, which is mainly reflected in two aspects. The first is to respect the differences between the two countries. It is always China’s foreign policy that the national strength is not used to define the relations between the two countries. Since wide-ranging differences exist between China and the United States, only mutually respecting differences can the two countries better develop their relations, otherwise, to use the differences as a pretext to blame the other side can only bring about more unstable factors to the bilateral relations. The second is to respect the rights and obligations between the two countries. Since the new century, China and the United States have signed a series of cooperative agreements and especially the China-U.S. Joint Statements respectively issued in 2009 and 2011. These agreements and statements have further identified the rights and obligations of the bilateral relations and only mutual respect can help these agreements be better implemented.

(4) Attain equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

The world today is undergoing major developments, major changes and major adjustments. To pursue peace, development and cooperation is the irresistible trend of our time.17China-U.S. relationship is not the one that one side gain means the other side loss, and one side rise means the other side fall.18During his U.S. visit in 2006, Hu Jintao emphasized that China-U.S. relations are not confrontational and the two countries should develop their relations through mutual beneficial and win-win cooperation. On the one hand, the foundation of China-U.S. cooperation derives from unprecedented huge shared interests: at the international level, the two countries are committed to world peace and stability and expect a favorable and peaceful development environment; at the regional level, as two major powers on each side of the Pacific Ocean, both countries are committed to the development and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region; at the bilateral level, mutual cooperation has brought about huge interests, which is the biggest power source for cooperation between the two countries. On the other hand, the two countries shoulder common responsibilities since many global issues are unsolvable by the strength of single country, including global warming, rampant terrorism, transformation of global systems, etc. On these issues, only by joining hands in the spirit of win-win cooperation, can China and the United States better solve these global issues. Hu Jintao emphasizes that China and the United States should prevent their relations from being affected or held back by any individual incident at any particular time.19It can be said that to grasp the development mainstream of China-U.S. relations in the spirit of win-win cooperation keeps abreast with the trend of times and accurately grasps the common interests and obligations of the two countries.

(5) Respect national core interests

In his meetings with U.S. leaders, Hu Jintao emphasizes many times that the two countries should respect each other’s core interests and major concerns. At the opening session of the First Round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues in July 2009, State Councilor Dai Bingguo pointed out that the first core interests of China is to safeguard its basic system and national security, then its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the third its sustainable and stable social and economic development.20China-U.S. Joint Statement on November 17, 2009 points out that the two sides agree that respecting each other’s core interests is extremely important to ensure steady progress in China-U.S. relations.21At the joint press conference of the Second Round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues, Dai Bingguo pointed out that the two sides reiterate that each side would respect other’s core interests and major concerns.22The White Paper on China’s Peaceful Development issued by the Information Office of the State Council in 2011 points out that national core interests refer to state sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity, national reunification, political systems established by China’s Constitution and overall stability, and the basic safeguards for ensuring sustainable economic and social development.23Any action that breaks this bottom line will be devastating to the relations. The definition of national core interests is like a cordon set for the purpose of maintaining stability of the bilateral relations. The two countries must be cautious in dealing with sensitive issues involving national core interests.

(6) Manage and control differences between the two countries

Since entering the new century and especially since the outbreak of financial crisis in 2008, the differences between China and the United States have developed in many fields and become deepened and strongly intertwined. Since entering the second ten years in the new century, facing the upgraded status of the Asia-Pacific region in the global strategic architecture and a strong momentum of a rising China under the background of financial crisis, the United States has quicken its steps to eastward shift of its global strategy. In order to consolidate and strengthen its dominating position in the Asia-Pacific region, and prevent China from challenging its superiority in the region, the United States, while continuing to develop cooperation with China, has strengthened its strategy to hedge and restrain China, which has led to the contradictions and differences to expand horizontally and deepen vertically. China needs innovation of its U.S. policy thinking in dealing with the differences between the two countries.

In meeting with Dr. Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State on November 27, 2011, Xi Jinping emphasizes that China and the United States should appropriately handle and effectively manage and control their differences and sensitive issues in the new period. While meeting with U.S. President Obama in the White House on February 14, 2012, Xi Jinping once again reiterated that the Chinese side hopes to enhance trust, consolidate consensus, expand cooperation, manage and control differences. “To manage and control differences” means effectively managing and controlling the contradictions and differences, preventing differences from expanding and becoming more complicated and bringing damage to the stability of state to state relations and striving for realizing positive interactions between them. As for China-U.S. relations, “to manage and control differences” means preventing the differences from getting out of control and ensuring the overall stability of China-U.S. relations. Under the premise of positively facing and acknowledging the existing differences, its basic thinking is to effectively address the differences between the two countries, which are difficult to be avoided and be solved, and limit these differences to a certain specific range, space and extent and possibly prevent new differences and contradictions from propping up, and prevent these contradictions and differences from interacting so as to ensure the stability of China-U.S. relations.

IV. The Characteristics of China’s U.S. Policy Thinking

(1) Overall importance

As an important part of China’s diplomacy with major powers, China has always considered its relationship with the United States in the overall diplomatic environment and external environment for China’s national development. Therefore, China attaches special importance to overall thinking. Firstly, a stable China-U.S. relationship is the goal of China’s diplomatic work with the United States. Since the beginning of the new century, the stable development of China-U.S. relations is reflected by no severe emergencies between them. Actually, the niche of China-U.S. relations has been enhanced and Chinese national leaders repeatedly emphasize that long term vision and strategic thinking are needed to deal with China-U.S. relations. Secondly, China’s diplomatic thoughts, guidelines and policies to the United States focus on the needs of developing overall bilateral relations. Different from the initial establishment of diplomatic relations, since the beginning of the new century, China’s U.S. policy thinking involves wide-ranging areas not only related to political, economic, cultural, technological aspects but also regional and international aspects, not only to the two governments aspects but also to exchanges between citizens and societies. Thirdly, China’s U.S. policy thinking still focuses on the future development of China-U.S. relations. Therefore, China’s U.S. policy thinking is not initiated for the expediency of temporary necessity, but focuses on the future of China-U.S. relations and the world development trend. China has initiated that the two countries should establish new-type relations, which is an active exploration for the future development of China-U.S. relations.24

(2) Staunchness

Since the new century, China’s U.S. policy thinking has developed in succession and become firmer in emphasizing principles. In exchanges with the United States, only by adhering to firm stand and principles can China better safeguard its national interests. Firstly, unwavering national interests-oriented adherence. China-U.S. relations have been and will still be driven by interests, not by ideologies and independent of the relations between top leaders of the two countries.25To expand common interests and to firmly safeguard national core interests are the interests-driven concept of China’s diplomacy with the United States. Secondly, the aim of China’s U.S. policy thinking has not changed and neither has the services for domestic development by China’s diplomacy with the United States in the new century. Thirdly, China’s diplomatic guidelines and policies to the United States are still tit for tat policies, and the U.S. diplomatic policies to China are still the approaches of containment and engagement, which have never been given up. Therefore, China has adopted correct approaches.

（3） Pragmatism

To review the evolving China’s U.S. policy thinking since the new century will find that Chinese diplomatic guidelines and policies to the United States focus on the development trend of international situation, on the diplomatic reality and the existing problems between the two countries. Firstly, China’s diplomatic guidelines on the United States has mainly responded to the urgent tasks of developing bilateral relations. During his U.S. visit in 2006, Hu Jintao pointed out the guideline of strengthening dialogue, expanding consensus, increasing mutual trust and deepening cooperation between the two countries.26During his U.S. visit in 2011, Hu Jintao emphasized increasing mutual trust, enhancing friendship and deepening cooperation.27These guidelines imply the urgent tasks for the current China-U.S. relations. Secondly, the change of China’s U.S policy thinking is a gradual process instead of abrupt adjustment. The changes in the international situation and the development foundation of China-U.S. relations are neither dramatic nor subversive, therefore, China’s U.S policy thinking is formulated based on peace and development, the pragmatic theme of the times. Thirdly, in its diplomacy with the United States, China, while grasping the cooperation mainstream of bilateral relations, has taken the attitude of actively facing the problems between the two countries without avoiding and delaying, and taken initiatives to deal with them appropriately. For example, the Chinese side has actively conducted human rights dialogues with the United States.

（4） Flexibility

The flexibility of China’s U.S. policy thinking is mainly manifested in how China deals with China-U.S. differences. As the most important and complicated bilateral relations in the world, it is normal for China-U.S. relations to have differences and contradictions. The two countries have differences in social systems and ideologies. In the new century, the old and new differences and contradictions between the two countries still exist side by side. Firstly, the problems that have existed between the two countries since established diplomatic relations are still there (for example, Taiwan issue, human rights issue). Secondly, as the two countries deepen their exchanges, new problems have cropped up. The differences and contradictions between the two countries are at all bilateral, regional and global levels. At bilateral level, there are economic problems like trade deficit, the U.S. trade protectionism, intellectual property issues, high technology export control, RMB exchange rate; political issues like Taiwan issue, Tibetan issue, Xingjian issue and human rights issue, etc., military issues like arms control, nonproliferation, the U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, maritime frictions between the two Navies, etc. At regional and global level, there are mainly issues like the DPRK nuclear issue, Iran nuclear issue, Myanmar issue, global warming and the global financial crisis since 2008, etc. China stands for properly handling, managing and controlling the differences between the two countries, and solving the differences by consultation and negotiation in an equal and peaceful way so as to minimize the negative impacts of the differences on the overall relations between the two countries.

Conclusion

Since the new century, China has formulated a complete ideological framework in its diplomatic work with the United States, i.e. to adhere to the correct development direction of China-U.S. relations, to respect each other’s national conditions and development stage, to continuously expand the common interests between the two countries in the spirit of win-win cooperation, to clearly define national core interests and respect each other’s major concerns. Thus, China-U.S. relations have maintained the trend of stable development in the new century. The development of bilateral relations has not only brought huge benefits to the two countries, but is also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and an important force for world peace and development. Of course, since entering the second ten years in the new century, it should be noted that the structural contradictions between China and the United States become more prominent, mutual strategic suspicions increase, various risks still exist, the possible outbreak of emergencies between the two countries has not disappeared and the changing international situation becomes more complicated. These existing factors mean that China’s future diplomacy with the United States and China’s U.S. policy thinking must keep abreast with the times so as to build a more mature and new-type major powers relations in the 21stcentury.

(1) Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping, VolumeⅢ, People’s Publishing House, 1993, p.339.

(2) Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, VolumeⅠ, People’s Publishing House, 2006, page 312.

(3) Ibid. p.313.

(4) China’s Peaceful Development Road, December 2005, Information Office of the State Council, the People Republic of China, People’s Publishing House, 2005.

(5) China’s Peaceful Development, September 2011, Information Office of the State Council, the People Republic of China, People’s Publishing House, 2011.

(6) Hu Jintao, “Promote Win-Win Cooperation and Build a New Type of Relations between Major Countries”, address at the Opening Cession of the Fourth Round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues,, May 4, 2012.

(7) Hu Jintao, “Promoting the All-round Constructive and Cooperative China-U.S. relationship”, address at the Welcoming Dinner Hosted by Friendly Organizations in the United States,, April 22, 2006.

(8) Yang Jiemian, “The Strategy and Measures for China and the United States to respond to the Transformation of International System”,, No.3, 2007, p.23.

(9) Zhang Baijia, “To Change Oneself and Influence the World----a Humble Opinion on the Elementary Clue of China’s Foreign Diplomacy in 20thCentury”,No.1, 2002.

(10) A Review of International Strategy and Security Situation 200/2006, ChinaInstitutes of Contemporary International Studies, 2006, p.44.

(11) Hu Jintao, “Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House”,April 22, 2006.

(12) China-U.S. Joint Statement,, January 19, 2011.

(13) Hu Jintao, “Promote Win-Win Cooperation and Build a New Type of Relations between Major Countries”, address at the Opening Cession of the Fourth round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues,, May 4, 2012.

(14) Niu Xingchun, “China-U.S. Strategic Trust: Definition, Issues and Challenges,, No.3, 2010.

(15) Ibid. No.3, 2010.

(16) Xi Jinping, “Work Together for a Bright Future of China-US Cooperative Partnership”, speech at Welcoming Luncheon Hosted by Friendly Organizations in the United States”,, February 16, 2012.

(17) Hu Jintao, “Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House”,, January 20, 2011.

(18) Hu Jintao, “Building a China-U.S. Cooperative Partnership Based on Mutual Respect and Mutual Benefit”, address at the Welcoming Luncheon hosted by Friendly Organizations in the United States,, January 22, 2011.

(19) Ibid.

(20) Dai Bingguo, “Remarks at the Opening Session of the First Round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue”,, July 28, 2009.

(21) China-U.S. Joint Statement,, November 19, 2009.

(22) Dai Bingguo, “Remarks at Joint Press Conference of the Second Round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues”,, May 25, 2010.

(23) China’s Peaceful Development, September 2011, Information Office of the State Council, the People Republic of China, the People’s Publishing House, 2011.

(24) Hu Jintao, “Promote Win-Win Cooperation and Build a New Type of Relations between Major Countries”, address at the Opening Cession of the Fourth Round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues,, May 4, 2012.

(25) Fu Limin, “An Outlook for China-U.S. Relations”,, No.1,, 2009, p.8.

(26) Hu Jintao, “Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House”,, April 22, 2006.

(27) Hu Jintao, “Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House”,, January 20, 2011.