Self-affirmation and competitive cooperation promote US-China-Xinhua relations

The U.S.-China relationship requires a political philosophy approach, dialectical thinking about how to seek common ground while respecting differences, and thus actively promoting the development of U.S.-China political, economic and cultural relations.

by Liu Hong

China and the United States are the world’s major countries, but in recent years, friction and tensions between them have increased. This is largely due to the inevitable clash between the United States as a global hegemon and a rising China. However, the fundamental ideological differences and oppositions between them cannot be ignored.

The United States is a long-established capitalist country that has consistently protected the interests of a minority class of upper capitalists. Alexis de Tocqueville noted that American democracy avoids the “tyranny of the majority”, reflecting the protection of the upper bourgeoisie by the American political and economic system. Francis Fukuyama declared the end of history with the triumph of Western-style liberal democracy, based on the idea that people seek not equality but superiority, meaning that the country should be ruled by the upper bourgeoisie. Under the long-term influence of these cultural and ideological factors, socialism never gained significant popularity in the United States, making it a unique case in the capitalist world. In many countries, such as those in Europe, socialist parties have long existed and rose to power. Under U.S. influence, its ally Japan has also long been ruled by the center-right Liberal Democratic Party, while the former Socialist Party has become the “perpetual opposition party.”

Because of the weak influence of socialist thought in the United States, it has become a typical right-wing capitalist state. Political scientist Steven Hill has described contemporary American society as a “cancerous spread of oligarchic rule.” Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has pointed out that U.S. government policies often conflict with the interests of the majority of middle- and lower-class citizens, making the United States more like an oligarchy than a democracy. In the U.S. Senate, policy preferences often reflect the preferences of donors, and in the House of Representatives, “millionaires representing just 5 percent of the population are represented twice as often as the bottom 50 percent.” According to a report by Princeton and Northwestern Universities, nearly 1,800 American policies do not represent the interests of the general public or mass organizations, but rather economic elites and organized interest groups.

On the other hand, China is a rising socialist power, clinging to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and practicing a socialist system with Chinese characteristics. Capitalism has never maintained a long-term dominant position in China. China is committed to protecting the fundamental interests of the majority and emphasizes the welfare of the majority, which is the highest embodiment of socialist principles and goals. This is of exceptional importance in the context of world history.

How to coexist with the United States has become an extremely important question, requiring political and philosophical reflection on how to find common ground while preserving differences with others. This includes considerations such as the relationships between minorities and majorities, the state and the people, elites and the masses, capital and labor, and tolerance and intolerance. Different people have different answers to these questions, and different answers lead to different outcomes. John Rawls discusses in A Theory of Justice how tolerance should treat intolerance, suggesting that if the tolerant sincerely and reasonably believe that their security and the security of the institutions of freedom are threatened, they should restrict the freedom of the intolerant. Kent Calder assumes that the bourgeoisie compensates economically and materially only when social discontent threatens to unseat it, because the so-called age of democracy precludes the use of force to suppress society. How should China respond to the United States, long dominated by capitalism?

There are four possible ways of interacting with others: first, living in isolation; second, hostility and confrontation; third, abandoning one’s own position and completely assimilating with the other; fourth, emphasizing harmonious coexistence and seeking cooperation through competition.

In the history of US-China relations, the first scenario was during the Cold War, when the United States and China belonged to different camps and severed relations. The second scenario often creates risks, manifesting itself in partial or local wars and conflicts, such as the Korean War. The third scenario is the United States’ proposal for China’s “peaceful evolution.” The fourth scenario, “self-assertion” and “competitive cooperation,” is the basic policy that the United States and China should adopt and must be increasingly accepted by the peoples of both countries.

In the view of this article, assimilation leads to the loss of nature and dignity, making it the least desirable option. Isolationism may protect itself to some extent, but it is not in line with the trends and dynamics of globalization, which leads to frequent obstacles. Hostility and conflict often result in significant loss of property and life, being a common disaster for humanity that must be avoided. Insisting on “self-affirmation” while advocating for “competitive cooperation” may ultimately lead to peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit.

Both the United States and China should maintain their assertiveness, choosing development paths that are consistent with their history, culture, economy and people. American culture emphasizes individualism, putting personal interests at the center and opposing centralization while pursuing equality. American culture often encourages individuals to be themselves, reflecting positive aspects. The American economy values ​​the market, encouraging it to play the most important role in achieving efficient resource allocation. Experience has shown that this is the right path to promote economic growth and achieve national and personal prosperity. American society values ​​the rule of law as the cornerstone of its society and government, ensuring honesty, justice and order.

Chinese culture emphasizes collectivism, effectively inspiring individuals to contribute to the collective and the nation, playing a vital role in maintaining long-term development and unity. The basic feature of the Chinese socialist system is the pursuit of the interests and happiness of the broad masses, which is fundamentally different from the capitalist system. As a large country with 1.4 billion people, it reflects China’s unique historical mission and makes significant contributions to global peace and development. China has consistently adhered to an independent and peaceful foreign policy, the basic principle of its diplomacy and the common demand of the international community.

While maintaining their own systems, the United States and China should engage in “competitive cooperation.” The international landscape of the 20th century shows that capitalism cannot rely solely on “cumulative benefits” to defeat socialism, nor can socialism replace capitalism in the short term without undergoing long-term historical development. Seeking cooperation amidst competition while maintaining competition in cooperation not only corrects the internal trajectory of capitalism’s development, but also has profound implications for the theoretical goals and practical paths of socialism.

This model of competition and cooperation not only benefits both countries, but also provides more opportunities and benefits around the world. As the two largest economies, the United States and China should demonstrate their ability to cooperate and coordinate on international affairs by jointly tackling global challenges such as climate change, trade imbalances, and geopolitical conflicts. This spirit of competitive cooperation helps maintain international peace and stability and promotes global economic prosperity.

In summary, the United States and China, as major countries in the world, differ in many ways, even fundamentally. In addition to ideological opposition, there are many other important differences. China is one of the oldest countries in history, while the United States is one of the youngest. China is the largest developing country while the United States is the largest developed country. Therefore, dealing with US-China relations requires a political-philosophical approach, thinking dialectically about how to seek common ground while containing differences, and thus actively promoting the development of US-China political, economic and cultural relations.

Editor’s note: Liu Hong is a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Xinhua News Agency.■