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UPDATED: January 1, 2014 NO. 1 JANUARY 2, 2014
Symbiotic Relationship
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Wang Fan, a professor of international studies and Assistant President of the China Foreign Affairs University

After 35 years of development, Sino-U.S. relations have reached an unprecedented high. Even U.S. politicians Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski, the major promoters of the establishment of Sino-U.S. diplomatic relations, feel positive about the current close relationship between the two countries.

The highly interdependent economic and trade relationship is the most characteristic part of the Sino-U.S. relationship. Cultural exchanges have also helped enhance mutual understanding. Chinese people are interested in U.S. culture. For instance, Hollywood movies and U.S. pop music are very popular in China. Also, Chinese culture is gradually finding its way into U.S. society. "Mandarin fever" is emerging in the United States in tandem with the rapid growth of the Chinese economy. In 2010, the U.S. Government decided to send 100,000 students to study in China over the following four years.

With frequent top-level meetings and consultations on the platform of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue, mutual learning has been enhanced and political trust is deepening. But one thing that should be noted is that learning does not mean understanding. What the two sides need to do is deepen understanding on the basis of learning.

Generally speaking, the Sino-U.S. relationship has undergone a phase of mutual economic interdependence and entered a phase of mutual economic and political interdependence. In the next phase, it should develop into comprehensive mutual interdependence on economy, politics as well as security.

However, the development of the Sino-U.S. relationship is not linear. Problems and differences still exist between the two countries.

The trade deficit is one of the most important factors affecting Sino-U.S. relations economically. The United States should avoid politicizing economic issues. To a great extent, the unfavorable balance of trade is caused by the United States itself. On the one hand, many Chinese products exported to the United States are actually produced by U.S. enterprises in China; therefore, the profit also flows back to the United States. On the other hand, Washington imposes high restrictions on hi-tech exports to China, which also contributes to the trade gap. The two countries could cooperate in many fields regarding cutting-edge technology, such as exploring outer space together.

In recent years, with the rise of China and the relative slowing down of the United States, the two countries once again entered a period of adapting to each other in the Asia-Pacific region. By reading too much into China's defense policy, the United States can easily make strategic misjudgments, while its rebalancing strategy causes China to naturally become more defensive. This problem needs to be resolved as China and the United States seek to develop a new type of relations between major powers.

If we say the stability of the Asia-Pacific region lies in a stable Sino-U.S. relationship, addressing regional problems with Sino-U.S. joint efforts will not only benefit the region, but also contribute to mutual trust and a better bilateral relationship.

Overall, the Sino-U.S. relationship is no longer asymmetric, but mutually dependent. The two sides need mutual understanding to shape and influence each other. Washington needs to change its traditional attitude in acting as a teacher when dealing with China. China needs to learn from the United States while the United States also needs to learn from China. The Sino-U.S. relationship is not an issue concerning only the two countries, but it also concerns the whole world.

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