Obama's re-election spells positivity for US-China-Taiwan ties
Editorial 2012-11-10 10:06
Chinese President Hu Jintao meets his US counterpart Barack Obama at the G20 meeting in Mexico this year. (File photo/Xinhua)
China has been one of the heated topics of discussion during the presidential election in the United States, with the issue of trade, territorial disputes, internet freedom and human rights indicating a lack of mutual trust between the two countries.
Although President Obama had said at the beginning of his first term in office that Washington would not adopt a containment strategy against Beijing, and would support a strong, prosperous and responsible China, the failure of the government to meet US expectations forced a shift in Washington's China policy.
Despite the frequent differences between the US and China, Washington's practical and rational approach helped prevent the situation from escalating into a military confrontation.
The Obama administration's decision not to name China as a currency manipulator this year also indicated its attempt to establish a multi-dimensional mechanism of cooperation and communication with Beijing.
Following Obama's re-election, his administration will have to work harder to map out its strategy in East Asia to ensure the country's leading position in the Asia-Pacific region. It will also have to ease its allies' worries about China's military expansion, and not intimidate Beijing.
At a recent discussion held during an event organized by the George Washington University, a current and three former US assistant secretaries of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs also concluded that Washington should find the right way to engage with Beijing, or its "pivot-to-Asia" strategy would be rendered meaningless.
Meanwhile, Obama's winning a second term will help maintain the stability of the trilateral ties existing between the US, China and Taiwan, with Washington and Beijing continuing their current relationship comprising of both cooperation and rivalry.
A stable US-China relationship will also help both sides of the Taiwan Strait improve their mutual trust on the political front.
Trade frictions might remain a hurdle in the way of the US and China trying to re-establish mutual trust, but as long as Obama maintains a stance that encourages dialogue, it will not be difficult for the two countries to find a new model for their complex relationship.
