Confidence can help diplomacy(2)

Yet instead of clinging to its Cold War policy of "containing China", the United States has actually been advocating the balancing of power, which admits China's rise while also remaining cautious about any possible challenge. The US has repeatedly stressed that it does not want the Chinese government or nation to fall because it is not in accordance with its interests.

Nor do China's neighbors want to "contain China" either, because that might degrade them into being tools of US' balancing of power. India follows a non-alignment policy, while Vietnam does not intend to challenge China's patience. The Philippines has never expressed a single word about solving territorial disputes with military force. Even Japan, which sees its relationship with China worsening, is cautiously avoiding any conflict because that would make it more dependent upon US.

The trend that has persisted from the 1990s until today is forming strategic partnerships, which feature collective security, cooperation on non-traditional security topics, and not being against any third party. China has at least 44 strategic partnerships and they cover most of its neighbors; the US has also forged strategic partnerships with global nations.

From this point of view, the diplomatic moves of China's neighbors don't appear so threatening. Aquino III meant to promote European investment, while India and Japan mainly discussed improving economic ties, as Modi is seeking to revive India's economy, and Vietnam's premier intended to increase bilateral trade with India through his visit. It is impossible to exclude the possibility that "containing China" was one of the topics discussed, but it has not been the main one because China's relations with them are not worsening.

According to a most popular international relations theory, nations "construct" bilateral relations through interaction: while confrontation and lack of mutual trust lead to fiercer confrontation, constructive moves with mutual goodwill can promote cooperation. China needs to be confident of its diplomacy, and promote, not curb, trust.

China is not a global naval power, but its navy far exceeds those of all the Association of Southeast Asian Nations combined and the latter won't choose a military solution for territorial disputes.

China's growing comprehensive capability also makes it a rational choice for neighbors to cooperate with instead of confronting it. No neighbor openly advocates military confrontation with China.

Territorial disputes have never been the main topics defining China's peripheral relations. Of the 14 continental neighbors that had territorial disputes with China, 12 have solved them through peaceful means; the maritime disputes can follow a similar path.

Of course, neighbors' doubts about China's rise are inevitable, but that makes it more necessary to promote trust. China has a good record of solving disputes peacefully, and its diplomacy should show neighbors its sincerity and reflect its goodwill.

In one word, if China's neighbors forge strategic partnerships without being against any third party, that will be a good way to enhance a new sense of security and break the old dilemma of power politics. It's time for China to be more confident about the strategic partnerships among the neighbors.

The author, Xue Li, is a researcher at the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.