What Xi Jinping's Visit Reveals About the State of Sino-US Relations

When Xi Jinping visited the US, it is clear that their was more disagreement than consensus. Relations between the US and China continue to be strained. Hacking, the Asia Pivot policy, US encirclement, and a more assertive China are major sources of contention. Economic and business ties are the only element keeping The US  and China relationship together. Relations are further complicated by America's silence on Japanese militarization. The United States does not want another world  power of equal strength to emerge. China will eventually be targeted and remolded as a threat. While this is an exaggeration, many in the US military establishment are promoting this concept. It is possible that the US is preparing for a Cold War or direct confrontation with the People's Republic. The only way this horrendous scenario can be avoided is through sensible diplomacy. The US must abandon imperialist ventures in the Asia-Pacific region. Encirclement as a policy must end and it must be accepted that China is a world power. The United States must facilitate positive relations with China and Japan to reduce tension. This is the only way peace and stability can be maintained in the Asia-Pacific region.
      The only consensus reached between the two nations was that hacking of government and business records must stop. It has been alleged that China has hacked into US data. Cyber security is a major concern for both powers. The US has been accused of using the NSA to spy globally. China would be the subject of interest.

The reason China would hack into US government data is because it does not trust the United States. The motivation for collecting data on US business is designed for corporate espionage. China's corporations want to have an edge over US companies. This has been counter productive. Instead China wants to collaborate with the US on cyber security. After the exposure of mass surveillance by Eric Snowden, the US wants to repair its image. With the rise of the internet governments have access to more information than ever. This allows spying to be done simply by means of hacking. This  still puts all agencies at risk, if data is not secure. It causes a problem for China, when it attempts to do business with tech industries. Before meeting President Obama, President Xi met with numerous representatives of  the information technology industry. China seems interested in opening up and having long term business relationships with these companies. The only way this can happen is if both countries make a commitment to stop hacking and spying. This process will take time, but it was the only discussion point the two leaders agreed on. 

      The Obama administration has developed a central foreign policy known as the Asia pivot. This means the United States will increase its military and economic presence in Asia and the Pacific Ocean region. China has become a major economic and political power in the world. The US does not want to have multipolarity  on the international stage. Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US has shrived to be the sole superpower and global hegemon. Neoconservative foreign policy once believed to  be fringe, has become mainstream in both Democratic and Republican administrations. Xi Jinping's visit symbolized that the world does not revolve around the United States. China must be respected like any other country  and the attitude of more powerful counties must change. Just because a nation is more powerful, it does not give it the right to impose its will on others. President Xi Jinping sees the Asia pivot as some form of threat. The US views it as a vital geopolitical interest. The interest of the US has a negative motivation. It requires dominance on all continents, but more specifically the Eurasian landmass. China would be in a vulnerable position if it did not hold a significant portion of US debt. There is more economic dependence between the the US and China in terms of manufacturing sectors. The US is forming stronger alliances with Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan. The alliances with Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines were formed during the Cold War as part of a containment policy against communism. 

These alliances are being reinvigorated not against a threat, but general containment directed against China. The US has a multitude of naval bases, air bases,  and active military bases present in the West Pacific. There are instances in which China has been less neighborly with other countries in the region. Vietnam and China have through out Asian history were in conflict. This matter is further complicated by the tension between Cambodia and Vietnam. This tension is left over hostilities from the Cold War. This is a major obstacle to regional peace and stability. The only solution is a Pan-Asian framework. Asian nations must cooperate politically and economically to ensure the Asia pivot  does not become a mask for re-colonization. 

        It cannot be ignored that China seems to be encircled. Observers claim that the US presence in the Asia- Pacific region  is the only presence in Asia. This is not the case when examining military bases in Central Asia. The US lost one in Uzbekistan, after it condemned the Adijan Massacre. 

Xi Jinping realizes that the western border of the country has US military bases facing it. This is a security risk in many ways. If war between the US and China were to break out, they would have no problem striking the country from the west and east. Another consideration is that it makes the western half of the country a target for terrorism. Terrorists who want to attack bases in Central Asia could take refuge in Xinjiang province. This could put China in a Pakistan scenario in which the US and NATO bomb targets to prevent extremists from establishing safe havens. The US can use the excuse that it is stopping terrorism as a cover to encircle China.  The US and China are both concerned about terrorism, but the US is shifting emphasis. Slowly, the US is moving its military might to East Asia, rather than West Asia .President Obama has made it clear that encirclement is official policy. The deployment of more troops to Australia is more of a threatening gesture. Encirclement and the Asia pivot policy have deteriorated Sino-US relations. 

       Another developing source of contention is the movement for Japanese re-militarization. Prime Minister  Shinzo Abe  wants the Japanese Army to take a larger role in international peace keeping. There is an ulterior motive. Japan wants to be the top regional power in Asia once more. China current occupies more of the regional leadership role. Ethnic hatreds and prejudice are fueling this drive for military build up in Japan. China and Japan still in many respects have not reconciled their World War II past. Japan fells both hate and fear from a powerful China and their ally North Korea. This is having a negative effect on domestic policy in Japan. The pacifist constitution  could  be dismantled to accommodate a new far-right militarism. Although Japanese citizens have been the victims of terrorism overseas, their deaths are being used to justify re-militarization. The Japanese Self Defense Force was to designed to respond to immediate threats. China maybe showing more assertion in the region, but it has no intent on invading its neighbors. The South China Sea disputes must be negotiated through a forum under the auspices of ASEAN.  This dispute between China and Japan must be solved diplomatically or western powers will use it to advance their own agendas in Asia. The US has been silent on Japan's re-militarization. They could be encouraging it secretly as a method to counter balance China's military growth. Chinese military growth is not directed at Japan, but America's Asia pivot policy in the region. Japan may become a pawn in the chess board of America's East Asian foreign policy. 

         The meeting between President Obama and President Jinping  represents a nadir in Sino-US relations. They seem to be reverting to a Cold War era situation. China does have a right to be suspicious of US intentions. During the 20th century, the US attempted to destabilize China in Tibet, and armed the Yunnan Anti-Communist Army in Burma. China was actively opposing US interventions in Korea and Indochina. Many Asians felt that US interventions were not about fighting communism, but were to maintain imperialism. China may view current US actions as a similar attempt. This could explain changes in behavior in regards to military growth. An arms race between Asian nations and the US could cause even more instability. The United States must understand that other nations demand respect and it cannot impose its will on each one. China has become an important world power. Trying to suppress or pressure the country will be counterproductive. The US and China must collaborate on economic and political issues. If they do not the chances of mass global conflict will increase.