The ideological tensions are clearly outlined in Xi’s vision for a “new type major power relationship.” In his remarks with Obama, Xi listed six priorities, most of which were as anodyne as can be (increasing high-level contacts, managing disputes through dialogue, and deepening cooperation “in all aspects”). However, Xi’s second priority is a doozy: -- The two countries should respect each other’s sovereign and territorial integrity as well as political system and development path, instead of imposing one’s will and model on the other, which is the important condition and foundation for the two countries to have a healthy, stable and sustainable relationship -- Previously, this message was implicit but buried in the formulation of “new type major power relations” as the idea of “mutual respect.” Laying the issue out so clearly makes it obvious that Beijing has a serious problem with U.S. “interference” in its affairs -- AND continues to believe that Washington is working behind the scenes to alter China’s political system. Meanwhile, it’s politically impossible for any U.S. administration to meet Xi’s demands. To do so would mean dropping the human rights aspect of the U.S.-China relationship, something Congress (and the American public) would simply not stand for. And the question of respect for China’s “territorial integrity” also grows problematic if Beijing expects the U.S. to accept its territorial claims in disputed regions, including maritime disputes with U.S. allies like Japan and the Philippines. (Shannon Tiezzi - The Diplomat - 13/11/2014)
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:50:35 +0000
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