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Principle is principle
( China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-17 09:18
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Defending national interests has nothing to do with being a hardliner, says an article in International Herald Leader. Excerpts:
Answering a CNN reporter's question at a press conference recently, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said sticking to principles and adopting a hard line were two different things.
The principle that guides foreign affairs is national interest.
Clear attitudes and decisions demonstrate a country's stand on certain issues, no matter how blurred the entire picture is during diplomatic interactions.
Westerners suppose China now adopts a tougher, even unyielding, stance on many issues. The reason for that, they say, is China's confident performance on many fronts. But the fact is China has been acting to defend its national interests, whether it is the Taiwan question or carbon rights distribution.
China does not seek, and has never sought, to confront the West. On the contrary, it's the West that refuses to let go of its prejudices against an emerging rival in the East.
China has to defend its national interests by ensuring that it enjoys basic development rights and has enough room to maneuver in other fields, from resource distribution and trade to regional conflicts and human rights.
The US almost always says its decisions are prompted by domestic pressure. So why can't the West understand that China acts independent of the developed world only to protect its domestic interests?
If the West can understand China's needs, the CNN reporter could answer his question himself.
(China Daily 03/17/2010 page9)
