Just two months into his posting as China's ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng took center stage at the 2023 Aspen Security Forum to discuss topics concerning China and the issues between the two nations. The four-day event is typically attended by high-level officials and experts from different sectors, and provides a platform for engaging in discussions on international security matters.

On July 19, Xie participated in a fireside chat with Steve Clemons, founding Editor at Large of Semafor—a new media startup focused on high-end analysis and coverage of significant stories, trends and global leaders. Despite being held during summer in Aspen, a small city surrounded by mountains in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, the organizers followed tradition by arranging fireside chats to create an intimate and relaxed atmosphere for both speakers and audience members.

I am one, but we are many

"Since my arrival, I've been a bit surprised by the prevalence of what some call 'political correctness' in U.S. society," Xie said when Clemons asked about his strategy for repairing relations between the two countries. Xie's comments came after Clemons introduced remarks from several senior U.S. government officials criticizing China.

Xie said he has been talking to people from various U.S. sectors and he can sense that there are many supporters of sound China-U.S. relations. However, he noted many feel under pressure and are becoming reticent, which Xie attributed to a chilling effect. Few want to express differing views amid the anti-China rhetoric, the ambassador observed.

Xie recounted how a user of American social media platform X, known until recently as Twitter, had commented: "I hope you find some allies; there are a few hiding in the darkness afraid of being crushed."

A sound China-U.S. relationship serves both nations' common interests and the expectations of the international community, Xie said, adding "I am one, but we are many." He called on all parties to contribute efforts toward gradually returning bilateral ties to the right track.

Henry Kissinger is definitely also "one" and one of the most important of the "many." Coinciding with the Aspen Security Forum, this centenarian diplomat made what American media called a "surprising trip" to Beijing, where he was received and hosted with great fanfare, being met by President Xi Jinping and several high-ranking officials. His trip is considered an effort to promote dialogue between the U.S. and China to manage risks.

In response to the opening question from Clemons about Kissinger's visit, Xie said, "I believe Kissinger is a patriotic American who cares about U.S. interests. It is wise of him to recognize that a sound and stable China-U.S. relationship is in the interests of both countries, not just China."

"Kissinger is a pioneer of 'responsible management of China-U.S. relations' in American diplomatic circles, a walking history book of the times, and a living dictionary for decoding China for the United States," Wu Wei, a guest commentator, said on a news program on Shenzhen TV, a broadcaster in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province in south China. "The proper way for China and the U.S. to get along has always been out in the open."

Wu underscored that if the U.S. persists in engaging China "from a position of strength," China will be compelled to build its own might and stature to ensure China is not disadvantaged when dealing with the U.S. and can safeguard its interests.

China respects U.S. interests and does not seek to challenge or displace the United States. In the same vein, the United States needs to respect China and must not hurt China's legitimate rights and interests, Xie told Clemons and the audience. He emphasized further, "China does not intend to challenge or displace anyone. We are focused on bettering ourselves. We have a long way to go. Our aim is to expand the prosperity pie even more and divide it fairly."

Fair competition

On U.S. technological suppression of China, Xie asserted that China neither fears nor shies away from fair competition. At the same time, China strongly opposes the use of competition as a pretext to wage trade or technology wars. Competition should be just and equitable, not an excuse for detrimental protectionism and bans on Chinese companies, the ambassador said.

Xie also listed three reasons why what the U.S. has termed competition is unfair. First, the U.S. aims to win by excluding China's participation. For example, it banned Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer Huawei from entering its market over unfounded national security concerns, even after the company offered to sign a "no-backdoor" agreement for its products. Second, the U.S. is rallying allies to diplomatically isolate China, a move that runs counter to the spirit of fair and equal one-on-one competition. Third, the U.S. prohibits exports of chipmaking equipment below 14 nanometers to China. This is like forcing others to wear outdated swimsuits in a race while America competes in the latest hi-tech gear, according to the ambassador.

The ambassador emphasized that China opposes both an "iron curtain" and a "silicon curtain," adding China has no desire to be drawn into a destructive tit-for-tat cycle of retaliation.

In a panel talk at the Aspen Security Forum on July 21, Joseph Nye, Co-Chair of the Aspen Strategy Group and Dean Emeritus of Harvard Kennedy School, also shared his perspectives on China-U.S. competition. Echoing Ambassador Xie's remarks, Nye agreed that the relationship between the two countries does not have to be zero-sum in nature.

According to Nye, an eminent political scientist renowned for developing the concepts of "soft power" and "smart power," China and the U.S. do not pose existential threats to one another. The only existential risk would be if the two nations blundered into direct military conflict, he warned.

To illustrate the nuances of the China-U.S. relationship, Nye invoked a "three-dimensional chess" metaphor. He observed that while the military dimension may seem zero-sum, like in the Cold War, economic relations are multipolar and require interdependence. Moreover, transnational issues like climate change and pandemics necessitate cooperation between both countries.

Nye cautioned that if the U.S. focuses narrowly on the military aspect, it risks missing opportunities in economics and transnational realms. "I've got to play this vertically as well as horizontally. If we just focus on the top board and pretend we're playing the Cold War again, we're going to miss out on the second and third boards," Nye said.

Speaking at another fireside chat themed Where Are We Headed With China? on July 21 at the same forum, U.S. National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan said the U.S. is not seeking an "end state" in the competition with China. "We will have to learn to live together as major powers, that is a basic strategic premise of our approach," he added.

"The United States is gradually calming down from its initial knee-jerk reaction to China's rise," Wu stated on Shenzhen TV. "It is beginning to face squarely the complex array of opportunities and challenges this rise presents."

However, Wu believes this does not imply that the U.S. would let China access the global center stage unimpeded. "If America cannot adopt a rational, pragmatic attitude toward engaging with a rising China, and manage competition responsibly while seeking cooperation, it may ironically end up jeopardizing its own future interests," he concluded. 

(Print Edition Title: Moving in the Same Direction) 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

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