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US President Barack Obama’s three-day visit to China beginning November 15, 2009, was widely publicised as the highlight of his East Asian tour given the significance attached to the relationship between two of the most crucial players in world politics today. The US which also sees itself as a ‘Pacific nation’ has grasped the importance of emerging Asia in the 21st century, and seeks to remain comprehensively engaged in the Asia-Pacific region. The role of a rising China reflected in its extraordinary growth and the possible scale of that power in the decades to come has been instrumental in the Obama Administration defining Beijing as a ‘responsible stakeholder’.
President Obama’s China had a wide-ranging agenda fro discussion including nuclear non-proliferation, energy security, the world economic crisis, Asia’s regional security architecture and climate change. In the US-China Joint Statement released on November 17, 2009, both nations underlined the significance of the US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue that offers a forum to “promote understanding, expand common ground, reduce differences, and develop solutions to common problems”. Seeking an all-embracing approach towards cooperation on the counter-terror front, the two nations agreed upon deepening counter-terrorism consultation and strengthening law-enforcement cooperation by exchanging evidence and intelligence on law enforcement issues in a timely and reciprocal manner.
In what appeared to be convergence on the North Korean issue, Beijing welcomed the US’ decision of sending Ambassador Stephen Bosworth to Pyongyang for bilateral talks with the North Korean leadership. The stated goal of the talks was to persuade North Korea to return to the Six-Party fold and affirm its commitment to the 2005 Six-Party joint statement on verifiable denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula—a demonstration of US and China’s collective influence to shape up a mutually agreed outcome on the Korean peninsula. However, maintaining its profile as Pyongyang’s benefactor, following a week since Obama’s state visit, Chinese Defence Minister, Liang Guanglie visited Pyongyang and met Kim Jong Il. Liang pledged to strengthen the military alliance between China and the DPRK thus reiterating China’s endorsement of its role in ‘safeguarding the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula.’ On the issue of Iran, while both countries agreed upon Tehran to honour obligations under the NPT, what eventually shall become a deciding factor are Beijing’s long-term interests in Iran that are primarily driven by a mounting need for energy for which Tehran is a vital source.
The Obama visit also appeared to demonstrate the gaping differences vis-à-vis improving the existential asymmetry between US-China trade. America’s trade deficit with China stands at $165.8 billion in 2009. Furthermore, when it comes to trade, China has made concerted efforts by pursuing a series of trade agreements throughout Asia which has widely fuelled speculation that Beijing ultimately intends to supersede Washington as the most powerful economic player in the region.
More crucially, Beijing has been critically vocal against the US for ‘trade protectionism’ and for continuing US restrictions on high-tech exports to China. Preceding Obama’s visit, China’s Commerce Ministry spokesman, Yao Jian stated, “We have always known the US and the West as free-market economies… But now we are seeing a protectionist side.” Yao cited 10 separate trade actions that Washington has taken against Beijing this year. Chinese President Hu Jintao also raised this issue while meeting President Obama and asserted, “Our two countries need to oppose and reject protectionism in all its manifestations.” Vociferously rebutting charges of ‘protectionism’, US Commerce Secretary, Gary F. Locke, argued that less than 4 per cent of Chinese exports to the US are affected by trade restrictions. “The United States is not engaged in some increased protectionism,” Locke said.
The contentious issue of Taiwan surfaced yet again with China underscoring that the Taiwan issue concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Affirming its position on the issue, Washington stated that it followed its one-China policy and abides by the principles of the three US-China joint communiqués. On the one hand there was talk about welcoming peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait, but on the other, Taiwan’s China Times reported that the Obama administration was contemplating selling 66 F-16 jet fighters to Taiwan. Expectedly, continuing US arms sales to Taiwan emerge as a key impediment towards smoothening of ties between Washington and Beijing. Stridently opposing the move on November 25, Spokesman of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, Yang Yi stated, “We strongly oppose US arms sales to Taiwan and our stance is consistent, clear and resolute.”
On the issue of climate change too, President Obama failed to achieve substantial concessions, although he stated that China is ‘very responsive’ to this critical issue and that the two sides had agreed that ‘the transition to a green and low-carbon economy is essential.’ Launching a scathing attack on developed countries as deliberations are underway at Copenhagen on December 9, 2009, China condemned the lack of action by developed nations in fulfilling their commitments on carbon emissions reduction and financial support to developing nations in coping with climate change. China’s Special Representative in the UN Climate Change Conference, Yu Qingtai said, “You will find a huge gap if you make a comparison between their pledges and the actions they have so far taken… Financial support for developing nations is not ‘charity work’ of the rich nations, but their ‘legal obligation’ under international conventions.” Beijing avows that the rich nations were trying to ‘blur the fundamental differences in the responsibilities developed and developing nations take respectively.’
Thus it would be apposite to state that the Sino-US relationship reflects collaboration and conflict as well as competition and cooperation in the same breath. The frictions in the relationship were amply evident as the hyped Obama visit failed to yield any tangible breakthroughs. On the contrary, President Obama’s rather comforting presence for the Chinese during the course of the visit signalled that the US comprehends the growing Chinese role and presence in Asia.
(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the views either of the Editorial Committee or the Centre for Land Warfare Studies).
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