A telling example is the issue of the South China Sea. The real issue is there is disputes over territorial and maritime jurisdiction. China is doing nothing more than maintaining and defending its long-standing and legitimate position. But this has been grossly misperceived as a strategic move by China to challenge U.S. dominance. The U.S.' responses to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative are similar examples of misperceived intentions.
Some people seem to be concerned about a so-called Asian version of the Monroe Doctrine. They see China's call for Asians to take more responsibility for Asian affairs as an attempt to drive the U.S. out of Asia, whereas China is simply saying that no one else can solve Asian problems if we Asians fail to shoulder our own responsibilities. The fact is that China consistently stands for open and inclusive regional cooperation.
But there is an alarming development toward exclusion here. Today, whatever China does, even within its own territory, some people in the U.S. always question China's intentions and challenge China's position. So the reality is not that China is trying to drive anyone out of the Asia-Pacific, but that there are attempts to deny China's legitimate interests in its own region.
Third, whether or not we can manage differences while enhancing cooperation depends on our will and skill. Thus, it is encouraging to note that China-U.S. cooperation is expanding and deepening.
There have been demands on China to abide by international rules, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. But the people making these demands are denying China's rights under the Convention. Besides that, they often forget to mention that the scope of the Convention does not cover sovereignty and territorial issues, as made clear in the Convention itself.
The concept of freedom of navigation is frequently used to justify the actions by the U.S. military in the South China Sea. But the U.S.' freedom of navigation operations were originally designed as a counter-measure against the freedom of navigation defined by the Convention, as the U.S. believed that the Convention would restrict the freedom of movement of its navy around the world.
The world has changed. We need a new vision for our relationship based on recognition of the new realities. China and the U.S. should form a new partnership to work together on today's global challenges. This will help both countries to better accomplish their domestic goals and fulfill their international roles.
