(Xi's U.S. Visit) Spotlight: Maintenance of post-war world order requires concerted China-U.S. efforts (2)

TIME FOR U.S. TO JOIN CHINA IN SAFEGUARDING WORLD ORDER

Fighting side by side in WWII, both China and the United States are builders, sponsors as well as beneficiaries of the post-war world order.

Peace and stability braced by the post-war order are important prerequisites for the development of both China and United States, and it is in the interests of both peoples if the two sides maintain a sound momentum in their ties, said Teng Jianqun, head of the Department for American Studies at CIIS.

Thanks to a relatively stable external environment, China has been a major powerhouse for regional and global economic development, while the U.S. economy has largely relied on the Asia-Pacific interactions since the global financial crisis ended. Therefore, it is their biggest convergence of interests to keep on track peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, Teng explained.

"China has achieved remarkable growth by committing to the peaceful development path, carrying out reform and opening up," Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai wrote in an opinion piece published in USA Today.

"China benefits from the current world order and has been the guardian of such an order," Cui said.

As a matter of fact, the largest beneficiary of the post-war international order is the United States, Yang said.

By jointly rebuilding the world order with other WWII winners, the United States has bolstered its position as one of the leading players in global affairs and enjoyed peace and stability in much of the post-war era, a sine qua non for its economic boom that lasted for decades.

In that sense, it is necessary for the United States to join China, an exemplary country in defending the post-war world order, to contribute to its stability and sustainability, Yang said.

AMPLE SCOPE FOR CHINA-U.S. COOPERATION

There is plenty of room for China-U.S. cooperation in safeguarding and improving the existing post-war order, Yang said.

Ambassador Cui proposed the two countries look beyond their differences, "stay committed to the core values and the major framework of the post-war international order, and steadfastly reject behaviors that challenge them."

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Stephen Orlins, president of National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), voiced the hope that the United States and China will expand bilateral cooperation over a broad range of issues such as search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, the fight against climate change, anti-terrorism and financial cooperation.

As important constituents that help reinforce the post-war system, global financial and economic orders, undoubtedly, call for concerted efforts from China and United States, the largest developing and developed countries and also the world's two leading economic powerhouses.

Some of their agreements and mechanisms will make a great contribution to defending the post-war order, Yang said, taking as an example the China-U.S. Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) that is under negotiation and is aimed at making two-way investment more smooth.

"With far-ranging regional and global influence, the BIT is set to be a paradigm between major countries to safeguard the post-war global system," said Yang, adding "a sound China-U.S. relationship is itself a valuable contribution to regional order and that of the world at large."

On a multilateral front, the whole world is also counting on the two countries to tackle emerging challenges that would put the entire world at risk if left unchecked, as the world has become a "community of common destiny," according to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

For example, in addition to their cooperation on traditional security issues, non-conventional concerns in areas including peace-keeping, counter-terrorism, nuclear non-proliferation, cyber security, climate change and energy also require enhanced interactions between China and the United States, Teng said.

During a recent visit by Xi's special envoy Meng Jianzhu to the United States, the two countries reached important consensus on combating cyber crimes. This created opportunities for both sides to conduct more cooperation in this field.

Under these new circumstances, the two countries should follow new ways of thinking and act accordingly so as to better defend world peace and stability, Teng said.

As Xi will pay a state visit to the United States on Sept. 22-25 at the invitation of U.S. President Barack Obama, the timing could not be better for the two sides to share their visions on the present-day world order established by international law to which both China and the United States are signatories. Enditem

Xinhua reporters Qi Wei and Liao Zhenyun in Beijing, Guan Xinguo, Liu Li and Shang Yang in New York, Guan Jianwu in Washington contributed to the story.

Editor's note:

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay his first state visit to the United States on Sept. 22-25 since he took office in 2013. Xinhua is wiring a series of in-depth stories on China-U.S. relations and the historic visit.

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