Da Wei

On February 28th, 1972, China and the United States (U.S.) issued the Shanghai Communique, “breaking the ice” between China and the U.S. and profoundly changing China-U.S. relations and the world at large. Half a century later, China-U.S. relations are now at their lowest point in fifty years. It may enlighten us in “breaking the ice” anew in China-U.S. relations to recall the grand strategic horizon, time-warp vision, and superb diplomatic skills of the leaders of both countries half a century ago.

ACCURATE COMMAND OF EVOLUTION IN INTERNATIONAL PATTERN AS FOUNDATION OF “REBREAKING THE ICE” BETWEEN CHINA AND THE U.S.

Evolution and reorganization of the international pattern is a decisive structural force for major-country relations. The fundamental reason for the leaders of both countries to break the ice between China and the U.S. fifty years ago was their acute command of the new international reality. Fifty years later, it remains true today that accurate judgment of a pattern-change and planning foreign policy accordingly is the foundation for “breaking the ice” once more in China-U.S. relations.

From the founding of New China to 1972, China and the U.S. had been separated for more than twenty years, mainly because of the bipolar pattern of the Cold War. From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, the international pattern had undergone major changes: the Cold War having evolved from “the U.S. being on the offensive whereas the Soviet Union (USSR) being on the defensive” to “the USSR being on the offensive whereas the U.S. being on the defensive”, the independent tendency of Europe and Japan being on the rise; China-Soviet relations having broken-down, entangled in difficulties at home and abroad, the U.S. entering a period of relative weakness, and having successfully tested the ABomb, the H-Bomb and the artificial satellite, China becoming an independent center of force in the world. The leaders of China and the U.S. accurately grasped the above macro changes and timely put forward a series of new policies.

On the Chinese side, the CPC Central Committee strengthened the assessment of the international situation, coming up with the strategic judgments such as that “among the three forces of China, the U.S. and the USSR, the contradictions and struggle between the U.S. and the USSR are ‘permanent and acute’, that ‘the contradictions between China and the USSR are greater than that between China and the U.S., and that the contradictions between the U.S. and the USSR are greater that that between China and the USSR’ ”. On the American side, after becoming U.S. President, Nixon put forward “Nixonism”, which among others called for U.S. allies to take up more defense responsibilities, “vietnamization of the Vietnam War”, and retrenchment of U.S. force in Asia, so as to better deal with difficulties at home and abroad.

The great significance of the Shanghai Communique rests with declaring “breaking the ice” between China and the U.S., but more important, with the fact that after the changes happened to the international pattern, China and the U.S. made efforts to coordinate their strategies. At present, the international pattern is once again undergoing extremely important changes, and against such changes, it is necessary for China and the U.S. to re-clarify each other’s positions and re-define each other’s strategies. This is the similarity between now and fifty years ago. However, the effect of the pattern-change this time around may far exceed the previous ones. In some 200 years of the history of China-U.S. relations, China for the first time is more and more equal in strength as the U.S. and the country is increasingly self-confident in its path, theory, institutions and culture. Such changes will take a process for the U.S. and the rest of world to adapt to and accept. Likewise, it is also necessary for China’s strategic circle to accurately understand and forecast the future position of the U.S. in the international pattern. After such repositioning, it is necessary for China and the U.S. to respectively readjust their strategies. Whether and when both countries can coordinate their strategies like fifty years ago, the prospect is not clear. At best, it is very difficult for them to come up with a jointly written common document like the Shanghai Communique fifty years before in a short period of time. As the pattern-change this time around is far more profound than the previous ones, both sides may need longer time.

FULL UNDERSTANDING OF COMMON INTERESTS AS THE KEY TO CHINA-U.S. RE-BREAKING THE ICE

Convergence and conflict of national interests is the driving force for adjustment of major-country relations. “Breaking the ice” between China and the U.S. fifty years ago was a result of the leaders of both countries to reconsider their respective national interests in the spirit of extremely clearminded realism. Fifty years later, it remains the key to “breaking the ice once more” between China and the U.S. whether both countries can accurately understand the common interests between them under seemingly less than extremely urgent circumstances.

Between major countries, there never lack common interests. However, it is essential to be able to realize their common interests. Since the late 1960s, China had returned to the thinking of foreign policy analysis of a sovereign country as it looked at the U.S. and the USSR. Conversely, the Nixon administration known for it being “right-wing” had been able to realize the differentiation and differences between China and the USSR, to realize the common interests between the U.S. and China in checking and balancing the USSR, averting war, and on the hot spot issues in Asia, and to move towards relaxation with China, which also reflected clearminded realist thinking.

On Jan. 29th, 1979, Deng Xiaoping and U.S. President Carter talking at the White House in Washington. (Photo/Xinhua)

Fifty years later, the rich content of China-U.S. relations is far beyond comparison than ever before. On global plane, there are common interests between China and the U.S. in climate change, public health, macroeconomic stability, strategic stability and so on; on regional plane, the Iran nuclear issue, the Korean nuclear issue, and security and stability of Afghanistan all need China-U.S. cooperation; and on bilateral plane, China-U.S. economic and trade relations and cultural exchange attest to the fact that China and the U.S. both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Of course, there are major differences between both countries in ideology, social system, and development model. However, such differences are far less significant than fifty years ago. The fact that the common interests between China and the U.S. cannot outweigh their differences can attribute to that what their common interests are opposed to like climate change seems to be less urgent than what they faced fifty years ago.

The ceremony commemorating the 45th anniversary of U.S. President Richard Nixon’s historic trip to China held at his namesake library in California. (Photo/CNS)

When having a phone call with U.S. President Biden on September 10th, 2021, President Xi Jinping observed that “China and the United States need to show broad vision and shoulder great responsibilities”. It is necessary for China and the U.S. from top level downward guide respective countries to consider common interests between them in the spirit of “broad vision” and “greater responsibilities”. Between China and the U.S., there are two categories of common interests calling for great attention. First, global challenges can profoundly change the world, and profoundly harm the interests of all countries, as the COVID-19 pandemic that has lasted for more than two year illustrates how global issues do not belong to a far away future but the immediate present, and they do not challenge just other countries but threaten all of the countries. Second, it is necessary to prevent security issues from “unconscious sliding”, so as to guarantee “peaceful coexistence” between China and the U.S. as called for by the Chinese side. Fifty years ago, China and the U.S. listed it an important common interest in the Shanghai Communique that “Both wish to reduce the danger of international military conflict”, a common point having lasted for fifty years and becoming more crucial today.

PROFESSIONAL AND FLEXIBLE DIPLOMATIC OPERATION AS NECESSARY GUARANTEE FOR REBREAKING THE ICE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE U.S.

Professional and flexible diplomatic operation is a necessary guarantee for strategizing China-U.S. relations. “Break the ice” between China and the U.S. fifty years ago demonstrated to the full principles and flexibility of the policymakers of both countries. Fifty years later, in an even more complex policy making environment, professional and flexible diplomatic operation is a necessary precondition for China and the U.S. to “break the ice” once more.

In the process of “breaking the ice” between China and the U.S., both sides demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and flexibility at multiple levels, which can provide a reference for handling present-day China-U.S. relations.

First, improving atmosphere through transmitting a series of delicate and complicate interactive signals. Since the late 1960s, both sides had undertaken a process of series diplomatic “minuets”. The Chinese leaders sent signals to the American side for improving relations by resuming contacts on diplomatic channels, inviting Edgar Snow to visit China, releasing imprisoned Americans on spy charges, and asking foreign leaders to “pass on oral messages”. The Nixon administration, in turn, sent similar signals through policy speeches, loosening restrictions on China trade and visa policies, and taking media interviews, gradually confirming its intent. People to people exchanges, and particularly the ping-pong diplomacy played a key role in breaking the ice between the two countries by “rotating the globe with a small ball”. The above small movements gradually created conditions for a “thaw” in China-U.S. relations. Of course, there are more than sufficient channels nowadays between China and the U.S. to pass on signals in a normal way, and China-U.S. economic and trade relations and cultural exchanges are much more vigorous than what they used to be. Now, we are endowed with more conditions to practice what “breaking the ice” fifty years ago inspires us to. Therefore, as matters of principle between China and the U.S. cannot be resolved anytime soon, smooth going work level communication and people to people exchanges are extremely important.

On April 13th, 1971, table tennis players from China and the U.S. competing in a friendly match at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing. (Photo/Xinhua)

The activity commemorating the 50 years of China-U.S. Ping-Pong Diplomacy, Shanghai. (Photo/Xinhua)

Second, persevering with a candid, rational and pragmatic approach. Fifty years ago, the differences between China and the U.S. were huge while at the same time the desire for both sides to improve relations was urgent. Under these circumstances, it was very important how to take and handle differences. During Kissinger’s second visit to China in October 1971, China and the U.S. began to draft the joint communique. The draft prepared by the American side attempted to apply ambiguity for China-U.S. differences, and seeing this, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai immediately expressed that they could not agree to issue such a communique that covered up differences and pretended consensus. As Zhou Enlai pointed out, between China and the United States, there are serious differences in ideology and social system, as well as on major international issues. More than twenty years of estrangement cannot disappear overnight, and as such, if both sides were to sign a stereotype document that does not speak the truth and that neither prepares to follow, it would be inadvisable. To cover up differences can only bring illusions to the people of both countries and to that of the whole world, which will in turn disappoint them, becoming counterproductive for the relations between both countries. Corresponding to it, Nixon arrived in China and spoke at the airport that we have no illusion that twenty years of animosity between the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America will be completely removed by a week of talks we are going to have here. When looking into the future, we must realize that there are huge differences between the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America, and so also will there be. However, what we must do now is to seek some ways so that we will not be enemies at war in spite of the differences. The candid approach to differences by both sides set the keynote of the Shanghai Communique, which guaranteed the mission of “breaking the ice” to complete in very sensitive and complex domestic and international environment.

The giant panda family tree at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington. (Photo/Xinhua)

Third, comprehensive and accurate manifestation of the essence of Marxism’s fighting spirit. On the strategy in struggle against the U.S., the first generation of New China’s leaders like Mao Zedong made quite a number of classical analyses. For instance, on the struggle to restore China’s legitimate seat in the United Nations, Mao Zedong made the instruction that to the U.S., we must prepare with both hands: the first is to be resolute in struggle, and the second, to be patient. Later, he instructed to walk on both legs, one is to be resolute in resistance, and the other, to negotiate at meetings. In November 1971, he pointed out that to the U.S., we must pay attention. When struggling against it, people are liable to lean on the “l(fā)eftist”, whereas when uniting with it, people are liable to lean on the “right”, and we must remain clear minded, neither will it do to fight in turmoil. “Breaking the ice” between China and the U.S. including the signing of the Shanghai Communique was a typical example of our Party to conduct a great struggle in a changed international situation. In “breaking the ice” between China and the U.S. and in the process of negotiating for the Shanghai Communique, the Chinese side did well in upholding principles on sovereign dignity and the Taiwan question, while at the same time it maintained flexibility in concrete wording of the communique and accepted some of the suggestions of the American side. All this manifested that we are both brave and adept in carrying out our struggle.

Fifty years have passed. On the surface, China-U.S. relations have entered another “ice-bound” period, but contradictions will also give birth to a turnaround. Sooner or later, “re-breaking the ice” will happen between China and the U.S.. As President Xi Jinping observed, “China-U.S. relations are not a multiple choice question whether to do it well or not but a required question how to do it well”. In this, we can keep full confidence. As this process may take a long time, we need hence to keep strategic patience. Of course, to complete a long and complex mission, one needs to actively work for it any time, any moment. Nixon quoted a famous verse from Mao Zedong in his reply toast at the welcoming banquet on February 21st, 1972, and the verse is equally valid for today, “So many deeds cry out to be done,/And always urgently;/The world rolls on,/Time presses./Ten thousand years are too long,/Seize the day, seize the hour!”