Chinese Abstracts

Panel 8: The United States and China: Bilateral Relations and Arms Control Cooperation

Arms Control Factor in the Sino-US Relations

Yang Jiemian

In addressing arms control and nonproliferation issues, the US and China face a variety of challenges. First, China and the US differ on broad strategic matters such as the US's role as a world leader and China's role as an emerging global power. Second, the US and China hold divergent views on some issues in the Asia-Pacific region such as the role of alliances and the stabilizing influence of missile defenses. Third, the persistence of principled differences over Taiwan and US arms sales. Fourth, China's deep concern over the retrogression in arms control and nonproliferation which is directly attributed to US's recent actions and decisions. There are four possible solutions to these challenges. First, the US and China should on paper and in practice treat each other as friends and not enemies. The US should welcome a stronger and more prosperous China and, conversely, China should realistically evaluate the US contribution to its modernization. Second, the US and China should differentiate between various kinds of issues and problems along the lines of Mao Zedong's proverb, "No differentiation, no policy" (Mei you qubie jiu mei you zhengce.) Third, the US and China should be more sensitive to each other's national interests. Lastly, the US and China should strengthen their cooperation "in an all around way." Now that the dispute about the bombing is officially over the US and China need to expand contacts, increase trade, and build trust.

Jieman Yang is Director of American Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies.

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