China's global role needed now more than ever

Together towards peace [By Jiao Haiyang / China.org.cn]

Whenever an immovable object clashes with an unstoppable force, the results always prove the African proverb that says "When elephants fight, the grass suffers."

Such a bang was wisely avoided in early February after Beijing reminded Washington that there would be no winners in any type of war between the U.S. and China.

President Donald Trump's eventual acceptance that there is only one China was the only sensible position. But implementation of the declaration will eventually reveal whether the devil was hidden in the unspoken details.

The fact is, Trump's phone call with China's President Xi Jinping came at the same time he was reassuring visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinto Abe, in Florida, that Japan and South Korea can rest assured that under his presidency the U.S. will continue to back them militarily.

Pyongyang's recent missile test became cannon fodder for the U.S., Japan and South Korea to hasten the Washington plan to deploy the THAAD missile system in the area. It will further boost the already substantial U.S. military presence in the name of protection from North Korea, but with no guarantees they will not be trained on China.

Trump's White House is being pushed by Israel and Saudi Arabia to ratchet-up sanctions against Iran to military levels, generals are promoting militarily engagement with North Korea and the beginning of a new Cold War with Russia - and the eventual engagement of China, both militarily and economically.

The forced resignation of U.S. National Security Adviser General Michael Flynn again revealed the dangerously deep level of hawkish cross-party congressional opposition to any mending of fences with Russia.

The deep state is also worried about the overall negative global impact on America's image of Trump going to war with the judiciary over his Muslim entry ban, threatening the U.S. alliance with Australia, tearing-up the NAFTA trade pact with Canada, stubbornly insisting on building an ineffective border wall and pursuing an avoidable trade war with Mexico.

Trump is also causing great concern for conservatives at home.

Eliot Cohen, a leading neoconservative who was also a high-level deep-state player in determining U.S. foreign policy under President George W. Bush, recently wrote in The Atlantic: "As power intoxicates Trump and those around him… (his presidency) will probably end in calamity - substantial domestic protest and violence, a breakdown of international economic relationships, the collapse of major alliances, or perhaps one or more new wars (even with China) …"

The world always needs steady hands and visionary leadership in times of crisis.

With Trump increasingly preaching protectionism, more nations are calling on and expecting China to fill the leadership gap to promote global trade.

The recent World Economic Forum in Davos heard similar calls for China to play a leading role in the fight to protect and enhance global free trade and cooperation for the common world good.

Following the Xi-Trump phone call, China says it will now work with the U.S. "to enhance communication and cooperation, to advance bilateral ties in a sound and stable manner that can yield more fruits to benefit the two peoples and the people of all countries in the world."

The two leading nations can now continue to strengthen mutually-beneficial cooperation in trade and economics, investment and international affairs, as the two leaders "have agreed to keep close contact and exchange views in a timely manner, on issues of common concern."

One China sanity has prevailed in Washington. But for how long?

Less than one month into his term, Trump's irrationality and unpredictability have sent shivers up the spines of leaders everywhere.

He's backed the U.S. away from a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his foreign policy is as muddled as his rookie administration's efforts to appoint more retired generals and CEOs to top Cabinet posts. Intelligence leaks continue to haunt him on the Hill, while the strong and growing anti-Russia Washington lobby remains the big elephant in the White House.

The Trump administration is in a state of deep crisis, and prospects for world peace and cooperation are not about to become better overnight by the waving of Trump's magic wand.

But delusions of imperial grandeur must not be allowed to prevail in the age of 21st century global interconnectivity.

Which is why, never mind its reluctance to accept being seen and/or treated as the new solver of the world's problems, China's presence and role on the global stage today is increasingly being openly accepted as much-needed, highly-valued and well-appreciated by more nations and people, near and far.

Earl Bousquet is a contributor to china.org.cn, editor-at-large of The Diplomatic Courier and author of an online regional newspaper column entitled Chronicles of a Chronic Caribbean Chronicler.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.