A country that should be 'engaged actively': China Daily editorial

Although China-US relations have seen ups and downs in recent years, China has consistently stayed committed to resolving differences through dialogue and negotiation. This was reaffirmed by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in his meeting with Evan Greenberg, executive vice-chair of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, in Beijing on Monday.

Noting that the two countries agreed to build a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity during the summit between their heads of state in Washington last month, the vice-premier urged China and the US to work together to inject more certainty and stability into China-US economic and trade cooperation as well as the global economy.

Stressing that stable development of US-China relations is of great significance, Greenberg said the Committee was willing to continue playing a bridging role in promoting enhanced economic exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

Building strategic mutual trust is of vital importance for strengthening the foundation for cooperation, which includes respecting each other's core concerns, something that was highlighted in the latest response from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning to the US State Department's statement on China's activities in waters east of China's Taiwan island.

As China has an exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf in the waters, its maritime activities there are entirely within the scope of its sovereign rights and jurisdiction, and are therefore beyond reproach, Mao said.

The party that instigates troubles and disrupts stability in these waters has never been the Chinese side, as Mao said. The Taiwan question is China's internal affair that brooks no external interference. The US needs to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, handle the Taiwan question prudently, and take concrete actions to uphold the overall China-US relationship and peace and stability in the region.

The recent remarks by a principal architect of the US' "Indo-Pacific" strategy are a refreshing dose of geopolitical realism. In an interview with the media, veteran US diplomat Kurt Campbell offered a candid assessment of Washington's policy toward Beijing: "It is not possible to contain China", it is a country "that needs to be engaged actively".

To fully understand the weight of Campbell's remarks, one must recall his past portfolio. As the Joe Biden administration's former "Asia tsar", Campbell was instrumental in institutionalizing the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, and helping craft the "small yard, high fences" technological restriction framework.

His remarks reflect a growing recognition among some in Washington that zero-sum containment is fundamentally unviable in a multipolar world. It should be clear to anyone taking an objective view of Sino-US relations that containment breeds friction, whereas engagement offers a viable pathway to manage global challenges.

Since a strategic miscalculation or misjudgment would be very dangerous not only to both countries but to the entire world, the US policymaking circle should fully understand that "Taiwan independence" and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water. The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations. The US side should refrain from sending wrong signals to the separatist forces in China's Taiwan region.

Remarks from China's Ministry of National Defense spokesman Chen Xi in this regard are significant. The Chinese military stands ready to work with the US side to deliver on the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, strengthen communication and cooperation, and properly manage differences, he said, adding that the Chinese military will work to promote steady, sound and sustainable development of the military-military relationship, with the aim of injecting positive energy and new impetus into the vision of China-US relations.

Campbell's realization that China cannot be contained should serve as a wake-up call for some US policymakers. The path forward lies in dialogue, cooperation and peaceful coexistence to help the two countries overcome the Thucydides Trap.